The Dead Terra
by AnarchyGunRage
Summary: The Storm Hawks are trapped with the Cyclonians on Terra Midoria, a lost terra that is under attack by an army of demonic beings, created and lead by Storks ex-girlfriend, who he accidently killed years back. Can Stork set things right? Blood/content!
1. Living Nightmare

**Note from the author:**

**Hi everyone. This is my first Storm Hawks story and it's my style of story, so forgive me if it's alittle weird then what you'd expect from a Storm Hawks story. This story will be rated T for violence(blood), Romance, Horror and lanuage.**

**For those of you who have played the game "BulletWitch", I'm not ripping off anything, i'm just using the idea of it. Please be kind in your reviews, but also be honest. One more thing: Please egnore my possible few spelling errors, I don't care about that sort of thing as long as I and you know what I mean. **

**I don't own Storm Hawks, but I do own some characters that I made up:  
Vixxy  
Margelo****  
Night  
and Star.**

**Along with the other characters you don't reconize.**

**Enjoy my story and I'm opened for ideas.**

**thanks, Renegade Demoness.**

**()()()()()()()()(**

Storm Hawks and the Dead Terra

Chapter One: Living Nightmares

_This was a peaceful terra, until everything went wrong. The curse started, turning alot of my people into horrifying monsters. Thier skin began to rip and tear, eventually coming right off thier bodies. This happned to soldiers and sky knights mostly, becasue they were armed with weaponry and as for the rest of the people in our beautiful terra...if they're lucky enough to not get shot down by the undead sky knights, they end up possessed by terrible spirits known as Deadings. This is a fate worst then death, for they become undead and limp, but just as dangerous as the Zombie Knights. _

_Only I can help free my terra once again, but I can't do it alone. I am the GunWitch and I have been using my mind to send out SOS pleas to any sky knights who may be near. I just hope my prayers don't go unanswered...but yet, witches don't need prayers. _

_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_

Stork opened his yellow eyes and found himself on the floor beside his bed. Just waking up from a vivid dream of bloodshed and doom, he whiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked up at his clock, seven o'six am. He then thought the best thing to do would to get a glass of water, first of all and take the Condor off auto pilot to start his day.

By seven thirty, Stork was nodding off at the helm, then jerking himself awake. Then, by nine o'clock, Aerrow tapped him in the back, telling him not to fall asleep at the wheel.

"Sorry." Stork said. "I had a weird nightmare last night. It was full of doom." His eye gave a twitch.

"That's weird." Aerrow said. "I had a bad nightmare too. I wonder if anyone else did."

Just then, Aerrow and Stork (actually the whole Storm Hawks crew) heard the horrid sound of Piper screaming. So, moments later, Aerrow, followed by Stork, Finn, Radarr and Junko (who also heard Piper scream) pretty much broke into Pipers room. Piper was sitting up in her bed, pale faced, sweating and trembling. "Piper!" Aerrow said. "Are you okay? We heard you scream."

Piper burst into tears. "It was aweful!" She sobbed. "I dreamt we were all on this terra...and, and, and...there were these, like...zombies or something living dead or demonish attacking us...There was so much blood and death." The rest of the Storm Hawks twitched. Piper had just described the nightmares they all had perfectly.

Later, all the Storm Hawks had a meeting at the Condors flight deck. "Well since nobody else is gonna start a conversation, I will." Finn said. "Why are we all having the same mortifying nightmares?"

"I don't know, Finn." Aerrow said. "But I got the feeling this morning that these nightmares are either trying to tell us something or warn us..."

"Warn us about what?" Piper asked, still a little pale.

"It better not be anything bad." Junko wimpered with a shiver.

"I hear you buddy." Finn said. "But honestly, what can the entire quadren through at us that we already haven't dealt with like the profesionals we are?"

Just then, something crashed into the Condor, something huge, knocking everybody down. Stork jumped to his feet and ran over to the window. He saw nothing out there, until some huge flew past the window. It looked like a giant, flying eel with red and greyish scales. A barage of green saliva exploaded from its mouth of thousends of sharp teeth when it roared. Stork faited with a thud onto the floor. As Aerrow tryed to wake Stork back up, the monster took a bite out of the Condors left engine, sending it crashing to the nearest terra.

"Well." Aerrow said. "I guess this is the end, guys."

"It's been fun!" Piper cried. "I never thought it would end like this..."

Just as the Storm Hawks readied themselves for death, the monster stopped knawing at the ship, gunshots, thousends of gunshots were heard and everything went silent.

"Is...Is it over?" Finn wispered.

"I dunno." Aerrow replyed. "I'll go check."


	2. Hecate's Hunters

**Chapter Two: Hecate's Hunters**

Aerrow carefully and slowly creeped out into the doorway of the now smashed Condor. He took a look around and looked at Finn and Piper, who were not far behind him.

"What was that?" Piper asked scanning the grey skys.

Finn stepped on to the orange dead grass of the terra. "Whatever it was, it's gone now."

"I heard gunshots." Junko said from inside the ship, Stork still unconcious in his arms.

"I'll refraise what I said." Finn said, kind of cocky like. "Whatever that over grown eel was, it's dead and we're not. That's all that matters."

Then, before anyone could even react or realise what was happening, Finn found himself in between the monsters front top and bottom teeth. The creature stood up like a snake. Finn started to join Piper in the screaming when he noted that the red substance all over is free hand was his own blood. Just when Finn prepared for death, a females voice said: "PUT HIM DOWN!" Then more gunshots were heard, Finn thought they were coming from on top of the monsters head, but he wasn't sure because all five of his sences were starting to blur out.  
From a ear bursting roar, the monster dropped Finn and he hit the hard ground from his five story fall. The rest of the Storm Hawks watched in fancination, admiration and horror as a girl, no older then Piper, battled this abnormally giant snake-eel with a sort of fire arm that was almost longer then how tall she was. The girl landed infront of the Condor, where Aerrow, Piper, Radarr, Junko and unconcious Stork waited. Aerrow then got a good look at her, her back was turned to him though. She had neck length jet black hair, creamy white skin and she wore a mixture of black and purple clothes. She spun her gun like a baton and it somehow turned from a machine gun to a shot gun. Shot after shot, the moster just got angrier and bloodier.

The girl then spun her gun three times above her head and positoned it at her waist. She put her hand in the air and fixed her gaze on the sky. The clouds were tunring from grey to black. Her menacing voice then growled: "Taste fear as your soul burns away...BEGONE!"  
With that a barrage of white lightning bolts gathered up in the clouds directly above the monster snake. As soon as the girl slammed her free hand against the dirt, the biggest white lightning bolt Aerrow had ever seen came down and struck the monster, causing it to roar with pain and fly away.

As soon as the monster was out of sight, the Storm Hawks and the girl rushed to Finns aid. All the blood made Piper queezy, but she couldn't look away. "You're gonna be fine." The girl said to Finn.

"Who are you?" Aerrow asked. "And how..."

"We'll get to that later." The girl snapped. "I'm tyring to help your friend here. She examined the bananna sized bite marks going all across Finns torso and took out a large, jagged knife.

Finn saw the knife and began to panic. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you gonna do with that?"

"Relax, bondie." The girl said as her dark purple eyes met Finns light blue ones. "I'm not gonna hurt you."...She turned to the others. "Those of you who can't handle gore, look away please."  
Piper was too curious to look away. Shock rushed across ever single concious Storm Hawk as the girl rushed the knife across her hand with a yelp, cutting an enormus gash in her palm. Piper turned away and gagged. Aerrow looked back to discover she had thrown up. The girl let a drop of her own blood drip into each one of Finns wounds and then covered his chest with her bleeding hand and chanted. All the Storm Hawks watched in amazment as Finns wounds and her gash healed rapidly. Soon it looked as if nothing happened to Finn, aside from the holes in his clothes.

"How did you do that?" Aerrow asked as the girl stood up and grabbed her gun. "Who are you?"

Pipers eyes lit up. "You're the Gun Witch aren't you? Are we on Terra Midoria?"

"Yes." The girl said, placing her gun at it's resting position at her hip behind her. "I'm the Gun Witch. This is my Gun Rod, it's a machine gun, shot gun, rifle and bomblette launcher all in one. You are on Terra Midoria, wich is right now being quarantined because we are under attack."

"What was that thing you svaed us from?" Junko asked as he put Stork down and helped Finn up.

"That, my Wallop friend, was a basalisk." The Gun Witch said. "The greatest creation a banshee can make."

"I thought basalisks killed by just looking at people." Finn said.

"That's just in fairy tails." The Gun Witch laughed. "This is the real deal here on Mirdoria."

"So..." Finn said. "Is your name "Gun Witch" or do you have a full name?"

She looked directly at Finn with her pericing eyes again. "My name is Vixentina Ravenanna Dark. My friends call me Vixxy for short. I am the newest Gun Witch." She started to grumble as she walked away. "I just started and now I have to fight over grown snakes, octopus dogs, robotic merbs and zobie sky knights. Thanks Ma."

"Wait." Piper called/ "Where are you going?"

"We're all in quarantine remember? I have two more villages to evacuate." Vixxy said.

Just then two talons and two blue merbs came ruinning up. "Vixxy! The male talon yelled. "There you are!"

Aerrow drew his sords. "Vixxy! Look out! Talons!"

"What's the big deal?" Vixxy asked. "I'm a talon."

"You're a what?!" All the Stroms Hawks said together.

Strok finally woke up. "What happned?" He groaned. "I balnked out for moment." He then saw the two blue merbs and went into a stuper. "Cascade Merbians! I never thought I'd ever see one and there's two right infront of me!"

"Hi."The two blue merbs said at the same time. They put thier heads together and it was revealed that they were twins. They would have been identical, if one didn't dress in black and the other in grey, one had long black hair in the front and in the back it was very short. The other twin had long black hair in the back and short in the front. The rest of thier qualities were the same.

"Storm Hawks, right?" Vixxy said. "This is my so called squadren. The twins are Star and Night, some of the last known Cascade Merbians."

"What about the two talons?" Aerrow asked with hate.

"This is Tom and his fiance, Margalo." Vixxy asnwered.

Tom was a talon with shaggy black hair, wearing the typical talon uniform. He removed his talon goggles to show his dark green eyes. Margalo was another talon, wearing the uniform, she had back length shinny blue hair and she revaled her light hazel eyes.

"Margalo is a Dotan." Vixxy said.

"Wow!" Piper said, her eyes lighting up again. "A Dotan?"

"Uh huh." Margalo replyed. She looked over at Aerrow. "We're friendly talons."

"Sure you are." Aerrow said. "I'll be watcing you both."

Vixxy and her team lead the Strom Hawks down a path to the village they were going. Strok was behind the group talking to Star and Night. "So," Piper said to Margalo. "Dotan's are shapeshifters?"

Margalo closed her eyes and took Pipers form. "Yeah, we are." She said in Piper's voice before shifting back into herself. Piper laughed.

"So can you turn into anything?" Junko asked Maraglo.

"Yeah." She answered. "Any person, any animal. any anything."

"She's unique." Tom said. "She's special and that's what I like about her."

Aerrow gagged. "So Vixxy?" He asked. "You and your team protect this terra twenty four seven?"

"Yeah." Vixxy answered. "We are Hecate's Hunters."

"Hecate?" Piper asked. "The Goddess of magic."

"Great Goddess and queen of the witches." Tom corrected.

"The Gun Witches are sacred to Hecate." Margalo said. "They are her messangers and bounty hunters."

Suddenly, the sound of some one screaming echoed throught the trees. "That's our que." Night said.

"It came from the village." Tom said. "Let's go!"


	3. Nightmare in South Rachelton

_For a curious reader, you pronounce Hecate like this:  
"Heck-ah-tay".  
You're welcome and thanks for reading._

**Chapter Three: Nightmare In South Rachelton**

* * *

The screaming was coming from the small Midorian village of Rachelton. Suddenly, it went quiet and Piper was barely restraining herself from bursting into tears of fear and anxiety. The streets were empty, buildings were in ruins and there were dead bodies of poor souls, human and Merb everywhere Stork looked. he clearly did not want to be there.

Then, from the silence another womans scream pounded against everyones eardrums. Aerrow reconized this scream. "It's Starling!" He yelled.

The group followed the screaming. They soon could understand what she was saying. Starling was then in view, hiding in a small vehicle, but she wasn't alone. A half robotic creature was thrashing through the vehicle trying to get to her. The two metallic legs of the creature looked as if they were four meters long. The creature lifted up the vehicle and Starling let out another scream.  
"OH MY ATMOS! WHAT ARE YOU?! WHAT ARE YOU?! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"  
The creature slammed the vehicle down, silencing Starling and turned around. Piper, all the Storm Hawks jumped in horror as they looked into the creatures face before it put on its goggles, making its face look half robotic. It was a Merb. A female Merb that looked no younger then twelve or eleven. It spotted the group of intruders and screeched an alarm, making two full grown males come out.

"Take 'em down, Vixxy!" Margalo shouted as the Hecate's Hunters charged.

The Storm Hawks didn't move for behind the pillar, they were all to horrifyed. Stork majorly, his face had gone pale as he saw the female hit the ground. This was the fate of his kind on this Terra? To become half mechanical monsters and to be shot. Who was doing this?  
Piper, who was at the back of the group, herd a growling, gargling type noise from behind her. She turned her head and saw the ugliest creature she'd ever seen about two meters away from her and Aerrow. This creature was a four legged thing with a triangular shaped head, four eyes on each side of its head, a disk shaped body that was a pale roan color and it had a large mouth with jagged teeth and what looked like six or seven tongues, green siliva dripped, making a pile on the ground infront of it.  
Piper was so terrifyed she couldn't see streight, she grabbed Aerrow's hand and squeezed.

"Piper, What's wrong?" Aerrow asked.  
But Piper was too speechless to say anything. She could only point a shakey finger at the creature. Aerrow saw it and was soon speechless himself at its ugliness. Finally he was able to squeeze a question out of him. He called over to Margalo, who was the closest.

"Urm...Ma-Ma-Ma-Margalo?" He wispered. "What exactly is this thing over here?"

Maraglo looked in the direction Aerrow pointed. She jumped almost a meter and screamed: "KNOPSES!! VIXXY!!"

Vixxy turned, gasped and back flipped away from the Cy-Merb she had just shot down. The Knops Demon stood up until its legs were streight and it looked as if it were four to five meters tall. Aerrow and Piper began to hold eachother and Finn, Junko and Radarr all ran for it.  
"It's rearing!" Tom shouted. "It's going to attack! AERROW, PIPER! GET OUTTA THERE!"  
But Aerrow and Piper were for once frozen in fear. Star and Night ran over to lead them to safety over by where Stork, Junko, Finn and Radarr were hiding. "Star!" Aerrow called the goddess like creature back to him. "Can you go get the person in that skimmer?" He pointed at Starling, who was laying deathly still, her purple hair had red streaks in it. "She's a friend of ours."

"No problem." Star said. "Hey, Night, C'mere." Night dashed away from the fianlly dead Knops Demon and to her twin. "We have a rescue mission."  
The two Cascade Merbs dahsed for Starling, but the last Cy-Merb left alive was standing in the way. He was a middle aged looking one, well built and angry. He was beginning to drool with rage and remorse for his dead comrades.  
"Vixxy! Margo! Tom! Cover us!" Night shouted.

Right as the Cy-Merb fell into a pool of his own blood, Star had Starling in her arms and to safety. Aerrow shook her as if he was raging at her and trying to kill her. "Starling! Starling! Starling! C'mon! Wake up!" He shouted to her, his voiced echoed in the once again dark and quiet streets.

"She's not dead, but she definately needs medical attention." Night said. "Believe me, I'm the Hecate's Hunters secondary medical officer."

"Medical officer, huh?" Stork sighed. "What about you, Star?"

"I'm an engineer. They call me high class sometimes." Star giggled.

"Okay, Stork." Finn said, " Ypu can interview the ol' endangered ones later."

"I agree with Finn." Aerrow said. "Vixxy! What in the name of the Atmos were those things?!"

"I'll let our mythologist asnwer this..." Vixxy said. "Margo?"

"Cyborbed Merbians and Knops Demons." Margalo answered. "Yes, the Cy-Merbs were normal Merbs at one point. All three of those Merbs...Tatianna, Robert and Marco are thier names. Tatianna and Robert were kidnapped from high school about a week ago and Marco dissapeared from his job at the crystal mines a week and a half ago."

"Those, those, those, those, those...Things were normal Merbs...L-l-l-l-l-l-l-like me once?!" Stork screamed.

"Sadly...Yes, Stork." Margalo said. "If your not careful, you could be next."

"We don't what kind of sicko is doing this to the Merbs, but we intend to find out." Tom said.

"What were those other things?" Piper asked. It gave her shivers just remembering the Knopses.

"Knops Demons." Tom sighed. "The things are walking paper shredders...Exept... the paper being your body." Finn and Junko gulped.

"Where'd the Knops Demons come from?" Aerrow asked.

"From the Underworld of corus." Margalo said. "They're demons aren't they?"

"How'd they get here?" Piper asked.

"Knops Spore Towers." Tom said. "You'll be lucky if you don't see one."

"It sounds to me like you need our help." Aerrow said.

"We'll be fine." Vixxy said. "I think it would be better if you got off this terra...NOW!"

As Vixxy started to walk away with her team right behind, a huge Knops jumped out behind the Storm Hawks. This Knops was three times bigger then the last one, was a more pale and greyish color and had what looked like spikes all over its body. Finn let out a high pitched screech that alerted Hecate's Hunters. They spun around.  
"Of corus." Margalo said. "Where there's a Knops, there's never a Zeenops Demon far behind."

The huge creature ran right past the Storm Hawks and tackled Vixxy to the ground, she failed to duck out of the way with her group. The Zeenops had Vixxy pinned to the ground and the only thing stopping the creature from reaching her throat was the Gun Rod, thus toxic slime from its mouth dripped all over Vixxy's chest.

"C'mon, let's help!" Junko called, getting ready to activate his knuckle busters.

"NO!" Margalo screamed. "Don't move! If you bump it and that creature bites Vixxy, its fatal and this terra is doomed!"

"Then what'll we do?" Aerrow asked desprately. "Is there anything?"

"No." Vixxy grunted, trying to protect herself. "We need somebody to sneak up on it and since it already knows you're all here..."

Just then, a flash of black and red passed, there was a short silence and the Zeenops' body split from right down the middle and fell apart. Everyone was stunned.  
"What happened?" Vixxy asked, sitting up.

"Looks like I cut in just in time." A menacing voice said. Everyone turned to the left and there stood a tall, blacked haired talon with dark redish eyes, putting away his sord. It was Dark Ace.

Aerrow opened his mouth to say the mans name in hatred, but he was too stunned by the one word Vixxy said in it's place. "Dad!"


	4. Welcome to the Jungle

**Chapter Four: Welcome to the Jungle**

Vixxy flung herself into Dark Ace's opened arms and called him that same word. "Daddy! You came."

"Looks like I came just in time too." He replyed, looking at the dismembered demon on the ground.

"A few minutes eariler wouldn't have been so bad either." Vixxy snapped.

Aerrow power walked toward the two Cyclonians. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." He broke them apart from eachothers grip to stop in between them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Dark Ace is your father?!" He asked Vixxy. Aerrow kept shooting Dark Ace looks of hatred from behind his back, as if making sure the man didn't pull a fast one on him. "Since when?!"

"Her birth." Dark Ace answered in hatred too. "Since her creation actually."

Aerrow and Dark Ace locked into eachothers gazes and a dark could seemed to fall over the ruined town. "And I suppose Ravess is Vixxy's mother?" When Dark Ace's cheeks went red Aerrow felt the back of his head hit the ground and the next thing he knew, Piper and Vixxy were sitting at each of his sides.

"You okay, Aerrow?" Piper asked.

"I just had the weirdest dream." Aerrow said. "I dreamt Dark Ace was Vixxy's father and Ravess was her aparent mother..."

"That wasn't a dream Aerrow." Dark Ace sighed. "You just fainted afew minutes ago."

Aerrow shot up and he and Dark Ace had a staring contest of hate again. Vixxy bunted in between them. "Stop the fighting already, will you guys?" She snapped. "We'll settle this at the Jungle once we've evacuated this place." She turned to Dark Ace. "Where's Mom and Uncle Snipe?"

"Looking for survivors." Dark Ace answered.

"Since when are you Talons friendly?" Aerrow snapped, pushing Dark Ace aside.

"Since all these Flat-Head Demons started eating all the Talons we had on patrol here." Dark Ace said, pushing Aerrow back. "Just last week, one of those flying Basalisks took out a ship full of our Talons. Many of our scouts, including Mr. Moss' daughter, Alexis and my girlfriend, Keira Marie are missing."

"Stop it, or we'll feed you both to the Flat-Heads!" Night shouted as she and Star pushed Aerrow and Dark Ace to opposite sides of the group. "Now let's re-group at the Jungle so Star and I can get out of these Talon suits."

After almost an hour of walking, Finn picked up conversation with Vixxy. "So, what and where is this 'Jungle'?"

"The Jungle." Vixxy replyed. "It's where we take all the Midorian refugees to safety."

"A fortress?" Finn asked.

"You can say that." Vixxy shrugged. Just then, Ravess, Snipe and three talons, all men rounded the corner with several refugees. Vixxy was overjoyed to see more of her family. The Storm Hawks backed up, as if expected Ravess or Snipe to attack. "Mom!" She said, hugging Ravess. "Uncle." She repelled herself from Ravess and moved to Snipe. They were all happy to see her.

The refugees however, were all shaken and most of them crying. "What happened?" Dark Ace asked Ravess.

"Some of those ugly octopus dog thingys attacked a shelter home." Ravess answered. "We got there and manged to kill them all. I think I got bit." Ravess pointed to the circle of teeth marks tattooing her waist.

"It couldn't have been a Zeeknops." Tom said. "You're not dead yet. Must have been a normal Knops."

"Let's take all these people to the Jungle." Star said.

"Let's hope they can find some loved ones." Night added.

As the walking continued, Aerrow over-heard Dark Ace wispering to Ravess. "Any news on Keira Maries whereabouts?"

"No." Ravess answered. "We can't find her or Alexis...Mr. Moss is going crazy."

Dark Ace fell silent and Aerrow began to wonder if it really was Dark Ace behind him. Why would Dark Ace be concerned about someone who wasn't either himself or Master Cyclonis? Aerrow caught up to Margalo and Tom, who were right behind Vixxy, Piper and Finn and ahead of Stork, Star and Night. "What can you tell me about this Keira Marie?" He asked.

"Dark Ace left Ravess shortly after Vixxy became to GunWitch so he could get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Keira Marie." Margalo answered.

"It was arranged that she meet him here, but her fleet was attacked and she and Alexis Moss were kidnapped by two Cy-Merbs. The Talon cadettes that tryed to rescue them failed grimly." Tom sighed.

"Where was Keira Marie while Dark Ace and Ravess were taking care of Vixxy?" Aerrow asked.

"Getting the proper training to be a talon." Margalo huffed. "Where else? Cyclonis just named her Dark Ace's second in Command before she and her convoy headed for Terra Edmontonia and crashed down here."

"And that's where you all come in?" Aerrow asked, Radarr was beginning to feel heavy on his shoulder.

"Yup." Was Tom's reply. "Dark Ace is developing an obession with rescuing his fair Keira Marie."

"It's his Holy Grail now." A female talon spoke as she caught up.

"Oh, Aerrow. This is Olivia." Margalo said. "She's the only survivor of the group of cadettes that was with Keira and Alexis."

"Nice to meet you, Olivia." Aerrow said. "You were with Ravess?"

"Yes." Olivia looked at-least sixteen or seventeen years old, she wore a talons uniform and she had tanskin, brown hair and eyes. She was from Terra Midoria.

By sundown, everyone, tired and hungry reached the Jungle. It was a large fortress made of tree logs and served the purpose of a safe house for Midoria's civlian refugees, the lucky survivors of chorus. The place was well guarded, talons were posted in look-out towers in all four corners. The doors opened and the first thing to be seen was the cabins all over the forts interior. Vixxy turned to the gathered Storm Hawks.

"Welcome to the Jungle. I'll get a cabin for you guys." She said. "But we have a big rule in the Jungle. Men and Women, girls and boys sleep in opposite cabins...So people don't do anything with thier girlfriends or boyfriends at night."

"Oh, I get it." Finn said.

Vixxy walked away with Dark Ace and Ravess, along with some other talons and refugees. Aerrow saw the look on Finns face as he watched Vixxy depart into a cabin marked, the Research Center. "You okay, Finn?" He asked.

"Yeah." Finn said while he shook his head.

Star and Night seemed to know what Finn was thinking. "We'll go bring this one to the Infirmary and get outta these talons suits and into our regular clothes." Night said as she walked off with Starling still in her arms, out like a light.

Stork jumped up and ran after the two twins. "I'll go with you." He said. "Star do you think, if we got it here you cold fix the Condor?" Aerrow heard Stork say as the three merbs walked out of site.  
Finn and Junko walked off and Aerow told Radarr to 'make himself at home'. Soon Aerrow and Piper were alone.

"It's funny." Piper said. "We have these nightmares about war and bloodshed and demons, then we crash here on Terra Midoria, who just happen to be having a quarentine war like the one we all dreamt about."

"That is odd." Aerrow said.

"Do you think we were meant to crash here?" Piper asked. "Do you think it was planned for us?"

"I'm not sure." Aerrow added, moving closer to Piper. He wispered to her, as if he thought someone was listening. "We'll have to stay here and see if we can help."

Piper nodded her head and then shook it. "I'm scared, Aerrow." She said. "I really am..." Her golden eyes began to tear up. "I'm having flashbacks of those Knopses...Vixxy and the others said it was going to get worse. I'm scared. I never thought I could be...but I'm just scared."

"I'd see it as silly and possible stupid if you weren't." Aerrow said. "We're all scared. These people are scared. I'm sure Vixxy's scared. I'm terrifyed." Aerrow stretched out his arms, offering Piper a hug, she took it, almost running into him. They locked thier arms around eachother and Aerrow forced the four words that were on his mind out of his mouth. "I'll protect you, Piper." He wispered.

Piper slowly looked up at Aerrow, this was the closest thier faces had ever been together. She saw it as an opprotunity, she slowly moved her face closer to Aerrow's, watching if he retreated or not. He didn't, he knew what was coming and exepted it. Aerrow and Piper both closed thier eyes and let thier lips touch. It was a short kiss, but it took Piper's breath away.


	5. The GunWitch and The Oracle

**Chapter Five: The GunWitch and The Oracle**

Finn didn't know why, but he wanted to see Vixxy again, really badly. He snuck away from Junko and the three talons he was talking to about how he nenver thought he'd be having a meaningful conversation with Cyclonians.

When Finn came passed the large metallic building marked _Research center, _he thought he heard Vixxy's voice. Sure enough he did. He peered around in the doorless doorway and saw Vixxy and Ravess standing there. The only living thing in there with them was the Zeeknops demon, pacing and growling in the containment dome they had it trapped in. Finn listened to Vixxy and Ravess:

"I don't wanna do this GunWitch thing anymore, Mommy." Vixxy said. It sounded as if she was either crying or starting to cry. "I wanna be a normal girl, possibly a Sky Knight. I wanna have a boyfriend without having to ask him to endanger his life justn to be with me."

"You don't have a choice, Vixentina." Ravess said. "Neither did I, or my mother. or her mother, her mother, her mother, her mother or her mother."

"Can't I just dump this curse on someone else through a ceremony or something, mom?" Vixxy asked deliriously.

"No, Vixxy." Ravess answered. "One. Our family line was chosen by Hecate herself. And two. This is both a blessing and a curse. I know your pain and stress. I-"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MY PAIN AND STRESS!" Vixxy screamed. Finn couldn't tell Vixxy's face becasue her back was turned to him. He tried his best to stay out of Ravess' site. "YOU WERE EIGHTEEN WHEN YOU BECAME THE GUNWITCH. YOU WERE MATURE!"

"Vixxy calm down."

"NO! I'M ONLY FOURTEEN, MOM! I'M STILL A KID!"

"Yes, yes. I know Vixxy. Just listen to me."

"NO! I'M DONE LISTENING TO YOU! I WANT OUT,MOM. I WANT OUT OF THIS! I WANT A JOB THAT ISN'T LIFE THREATENING!"

"Well, Vixxy." Ravess said, calmly. "Isn't it worth to know that you are risking your life for friends of yours and other lives."

"I don't wanna do this anymore, mom." Vixxy repeated. She gave her mom a hug and began to walk out of the center, leaving Ravess by herself. Finn banged the back of his head against the wall, staying out of site when Vixxy walked past him. When she rounded the corner, Finn overheard Ravess again.

"What are you looking at?" He looked to see who she was talking to and she was talking to the Zeeknops in the containment dome, obviously trying to amuse herself.

Finn followed Vixxy and found her on the west side of the center's deck. Vixxy was leaning up against the railing with her head down. Finn saw the tears streaming from her eyes through her thick, ebony hair. "You okay, Vixxy?"

Vixxy tried her eyes. "I'm fine."

"I heard-"

"How much did you hear?"

"I heard enough." Finn finished. "I take it it's hard being the GunWitch?"

Vixxy shot Finn a look with her dark purple eyes, lie two crystals. "Is it hard? IS IT HARD?! WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" Vixxy took a deep breath. "Sorry, Finn."

"Don't worry about it." Finn said with a smile. "So..." He tried to keep the conversation going. "You're a Cyclonian?"

"Uh huh." Vixxy sighed. "Physically, but not mentally."

"That's for sure." Finn laughed. "You're too nice and...nice to be a Cyclonian."

"What were you gonna say?" Vixxy asked.

"What?"

"What were you gonna say?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Vixxy said. "After you said I was a nice Cyclonian, you were about to say something else."

"..." Finn's eyes shifted around. "No I wasn't."

"Vixxy!" Tom called from a walk away. "can you come here for a sec?"

"Sure, Tom." Vixxy said waving. She placed her hand on Finn's shoulder. "I have to go. See ya at dinner."

Vixxy hoped over the railing of the deck and praced over to Tom. As Finn watched Tom lead Vixxy out of site, he heard a voice from behind him. "What were you going to say, Finn?" It wasn't Ravess' voice, Finnturned to see Margalo in the doorway behind him. she was wearing her hair in a braid and a lab coat over her talon uniform.

"What do you mean?" Finn repeated.

"I heard the whole thing." Margalo said. "Me and Tom both did. That's why I told Tom to send Vixxy on a wild goose chase, so we could talk." Finn followed Margalo into the research center. The Zeeknops in the glass dome caught his attention as he walked by it. "he's pretty cool, isn't he?" Margalo asked. "Tom and I named him Snipe...but we call him Jack whenever Snipe's around." She giggled.

"Have you always been a talon?" Finn asked.

"You think I'm too nice to be a talon." Margalo said. "No. I never was a talon. I just put on a talon uniform to blend in. Also, I'm friends with Ravess. We met when we went Violin Camp together on Terra Dota. There's a picture over here on my desk."  
Finn looked at the framed picture Margalo handed to him. A colored picture of sixteen year old Ravess and Margalo, same hair colors and looks exept Ravess' hair was long and Margalo's was short. Finn snickered. "What are you laughing at?" Margalo snapped playfully. "Ravess and I were pretty teens."

"I wasn't laughing at you." Finn said, putting down the picture. "I was laughing at your braces....In-in the picture you both ahave braces on your teeth."

"I know." Margalo said. "Ravess' boyfriend had braces too and when she kissed him for the first time at camp, they got stuck together." Finn and Margalo laughed for while, until Ravess appeared in the doorway.

"Yes, that was one unforgetable ride to the orthodontist." She said. "Snipe reminds me of that day all the time."

Finn then, becasue of Ravess' presence, tried to change the sbuject. "Vixxy seems tence and worried about something."

"Poor thing is too stressed." Ravess said. "She's in love with someone, she won't say who and she can't ask him out."

"She's shy?" Finn asked.

"No." Ravess sighed.

"The GunWitch can have a boyfriend," Margalo began. "But that boyfriend will be known as her 'Oracle'. The Oracle's duty and honor is to fight along side the GunWitch and love her most importantly."

"Why's that so bad?" Finn asked.

"Becasue, the quickest and most efficent way to kill the GunWitch is to kill her Oracle." Ravess said. "If the GunWitch dies, the Orcale will live on. But if an Oracle dies..."

"So does his GunWitch." Finn finished.

"Exactly." Margalo said. "Vixxy is heartbroken and stressed because she doesn't want to put this guy she loves in danger."

"She'll need an Oracle eventually though." Ravess said. "Her powers will weaken if she doesn't."

"Well," Finn said, backing out towards the doorway. "I've really enjoyed this conversation and I learned quite a bit, but-"

Just then, Stork came running and stopped infront of Margalo. He seemed exited about something. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked Margalo.

"What?" Margalo said. "Sorry, Stork?"

"Why didn't you tell me what Star and Night wear all the time?" Stork said, he was almost bouncing up and down.

"Ah, you've seen Star and Night in thier bikini's." Ravess said. "I know, it's aweful."

"Aweful?! What are you talking about?" Stork yelled. "Finn. Tell everyone I am a polygamist." Stork then zipped back outside.

Finn saw what Star and Night were wearing and got cold just looking at them. Sure enough. Star and Night were now dressed in short shorts and bakini tops (Star wore grey and Night wore black). It was now noticable that Star had a long line of scars down her back. Margalo saw the look on Finns face and said: "They're from Terra Cascadia in Hydros, the water quadron. The way they dress even in the winter is understandable. Thier skin adapted to cold temperatures, that's why it's blue."

"Stork has become a polygamist?" Finn asked.

"Yes." Tom said, walking up with Vixxy. "Star and Night love him too."

"They love him as much as I love the guitar. "Vixxy laughed.

"You play guitar?" Finn asked. "Electirc?"

"Yeah." Vixxy answered. "I'm the Guitar Queen of the Atmos."

"You can't be." Finn yelled. "I'm the Guitar Queen of the Atmos." Vixxy chuckled. "I mean King. I'm the Guitar King of the Atmos."

"I'll bet so." Vixxy laughed.

"Is that a challenge?" Finn asked. "Cause I'll go back to the edge of the Terra and get the Rock Machine out of the Condor right now."

"You don't have to." Vixxy said with an evil smilethat made her look ALOT like her father. "Star had the Condor brought back here so she could fix it. You go get your Rock Machine, I'll go get my Metal Machine and we'll meet back here in ten minutes."

"Agreed." Finn said, shacking Vixxy's hand. "We'll see who's the real guitar King or Queen of the Atmos."


	6. Dark Dinner Conversation

**Chapter Six: Dark Dinner Conversation**

Ten minutes later, Aerrow and Piper were learning about the different types of Knops from Margalo two sounds pounded against thier ears. "What's that gawd aweful racket being drownd out by a possitive sound?" Aerrow asked as he, Piper and Margalo joined Tom outside.  
He was on the deck, watching Finn and Vixxy facing off eachother with thier guitars in the center of the Jungle. There was a few Midorian civilians and talons, along with Dark Ace, Ravess and Snipe in the far coner of the audience.  
Finn's sounds were scratchy, while Vixxy played her black and purple guitar like a true master. Once Finn and Vixxy finished, the civilians told Finn what tyhey thought.

"We already told you." A female adolecents voice said. "Vixxy is ten time better then you. No more remathes please."

"What do you mean?" Finn said. "We've only played twice."

"Actually, Finn." Vixxy said with a peculiar smile, she revealed the retainer on her top layer of teeth. "This was the fourth time we've played. We played the songs: Threes and Sevens, Rock ya like a Hurricane, The Metal and the one we just finished was Welcome to the Jungle in remix."

"Really?" Finn asked, in an oddly cute, nieve kind of way.

"Yeah." Vixxy said as she saw Dark Ace signal her over. "I have to go now. See ya at dinner." She repeated.

"Hey, when is dinner?" Junko asked from a distance. "I'm starving!"

"What a shocker." Finn laughed, gathering up his amp and stuff (Vixxy did the same beside him).

"Olivia!" Vixxy called. "You help out in the kitchen. When's dinner?"

"Right away." Olivia answered from beside Ravess. "Chris and Baye and cooking extra because I told them we had a Wallop here now."

"Alright!" Junko said, but he wasn't sure to feel happy or kind of insulted. All that was important to him was that he got to eat soon.

About half an hour later, everyone in went to the large mess hall in the Northern part of the Jungle for dinner. Vixxy explained that they had high class cooks and caterers that she and the Hunters saved in West Morelloberg, an already evacuated town.

There was so much food being served buffey style, none of the Storm Hawks, not even Junko knew where to start. After each Storm Hawk gathered up as much food on thier plates as they needed (it was a tie between Finn and Junko over who had the biggest helping on his plate), they each went over to sit with thier new friends, The Hecate's Hunters. Aerrow and Piper sat on the edge of the table, beside Margalo and across from Tom. Finn and Junko took a spot on eachside of Vixxy and Star pushed Junko over so Stork could sit in between her and Night. Radarr was (acording to Vixxy) small enough to sit on top of the table with his plate so he sat infront of Aerrow and Piper, who were secretly holding hands underneith the table.

Olivia, who was sitting across the room, caught Piper's attention. She was buttering a wheat bun while she talked to Ravess. "Olivia was a survivor when Keira Marie and Alexis Moss were kidnapped?"

"The only survivor." Margalo stated."She just made it by a landslide. Thank Atmos Snipe found her under her best friends body."

"He originally thought her friend, Barlie was breathing." Tom added. "He checked it out and by the grace of Atmos, he dragged Olivia out of there right before she suffocated."

"Can we ask her what she remembers about the attack?" Aerrow asked.

"No!" Vixxy groaned, almost choking on the olive from her Greek Salad.

"Why not?" Piper asked, taking a bite out of her wheat bun.

"Becasue, we tried asking her what she remembers, and whatever she remembers, she doesn't want to." Vixxy wispered. "She broke down and cried for, my uncle Snipe counted three hours. Maybe she saw Barlie die or something."

"Okay, simple enough." Aerrow said, ripping off a peice of his chicken and putting it in his mouth.

"So, what exactly is going on here, Vixxy?" Stork asked.

"What do you mean?" Vixxy replyed.

"This Terra." Stork said. "How did all these demons and Cy-Merbs ckme into the picture?"

"You tell me." Vixxy sighed, stabbing at her salad. "We're still trying to figure that out."

"I think it might be the work of a distraught banshee." Margalo stated. "But then I could be wrong...I hope I'm wrong, when banshees are upset, they stop at nothing and I mean NOTHING to get what they want."

"Banshees usually go after the one who killed them and make them pay the price." Tom said.

"Where do banshees come from?" Piper asked.

"Bansees come from dead bodies that weren't given proper burrials." Tom answered. "The spirits get lost, when they get lost, they cry and when a ghost of a woman cries for long enough, she turns into a bansheee. Her cry becomes a scream loud and high pitched enough to summon the dead and drive a mortal mad."

Storks eyes shifted. "You said banshees come from the ghosts of HUMAN women that weren't given proper burrials?"

"No, no, no." Margalo intercepted. "Merbs can become banshees too."

"I'm full." Stork said jumping up. "I-I-I-I-I need some air!" With that he was gone.  
When Stork got outside the mess hall, the temperature dropped. Stork could then see his breath. He turned his head to see a Merb girl in a white dress, that was torn, dirty, wet and parshally see-threw, sitting in a large puddle of water. Her head was down so all Stork could see was her matted and mangled hair. Stork slowly approached her. "Hey." He called. "Are you okay?"

"No." Her croaky voice sighed from underneith all her wet hair. "I'm not okay. I'm in pain."

"Is there anything I could do to help?" Stork asked, reaching to her shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed loudly. Her hair still hid her face. "No, you can't do anything to help. You're the reason I'm in pain."

"What do you mean?" Stork asked. "I don't even know you."

"Yes you do." Her demonic voice said as she stood up, her head still down.

She began to make Stork feel nervous. "What do you mean?" He repeated. "How do I know you?"

With cat-like reflexes, the gril grabbed Storks nearby arm with her hand. Stork looked at it and tried to scream, but he was too scared to. Her hand and entire arm and even her ears were clammy, ripped and looked rotten. This was no ordinary Merb. She lifted hre head slowy and let her hair pull back far enough to reveal one tear stained and blood shot, yellow eye. "You killed me!" She growled right before she threw her head back and revealed her entire, dead looking face.

When Stork saw her face, his heart stopped. "You..."

"Hello, Stork." She said with an evil and rotten smile before disappearing into thin air. Everything went black to Stork and he felt his head hit the hard ground as he fainted.

_It can't be_...He thought_. She's...She's dead! _


	7. Gail

**Chapter Seven: Gail**

Stork stopped thinking he was dead when he started to hear voices. It was Aerrow. "Stork? Stork!" Finn. "Stork! Come on, buddy! Wake up!" Junko. "What happened?" and other voices, he thought he heard Vixxy, Dark Ace and maybe Star and Night in there too.  
He opened his eyes and the blurred images of his friends and enemies cleared up.

"Stork!" Aerrow said. "What happened?!"

"Oh, man..." Stork groaned, clutching his hair. "I was about to ask the same question..."

"Face it..." Vixxy said. "Someone or something attacked him."

"What do you mean by that?" Finn asked.

"I'll show you." Vixxy said. "Stork. Roll up your sleeves." The Merb obeyed. He rolled up his sleeve on his right arm, nothing was there. However, on his other arm, he felt something burning it almost. He rolled up his sleeve to see a huge red ring around his pale green forearm. Then, the ring changed shape and took the form of what looked like a hand print, as if someone had grabbed him and held on tightly. He then remembered what happened outside the mess hall. "You were out for four hours, Stork." Vixxy filled him in. "It's, right now, one thirty in the morning..."

Stork snapped and curled up into a ball. "I didn't mean to kill her. It was an accident....and now she's haunting me becasue I came back..."

"Who's haunting you, Stork?" Aerrow asked. "Who did you kill? What happened outside?"

"Whatever, or whoever attacked Stork must now know that he's a Storm Hawk." Margalo said. "If I were all of you, I'd keep and eye on one another...."

Aerrow looked around and his face went pale. "Where's Piper?"  
Just then, the unmistakeable sound of Piper's screaming was heard. It sounded as if she was just outside. Everyone, even Stork went to see what was going on, Aerrow ahead of the mob. Piper was on the ground, crawling away from the same Merbian omen girl that attacked Stork. Stork ran into the Research Center to hide. The omen slowly glided toward Piper.

"AERROW!" Piper screamed. "HELP ME!"

Aerrow picked up a large and blunt rock off the ground. "Hey!" he yelled as he threw it as hard as he could. It hit the omen in the back of the head, causing her to yelp and turn towards Aerrow. She opened her wide mouth and such a scream came out of her, Aerrow plugged his ears and was seeing double.

After this, Margalo knew exactly what she was. "BANSHEE!" She yelled, pointing. The banshee gave a short glance at Margalo, but she was mainly focused on Aerrow. She ventured away from Piper and started towards him, this caused Aerrow to jump and back away, he fell and was then in the same siduation as Piper was.

Finn, foolishly ran infront of the banshee with his crossbow. "You don't scare me. Bring it!"  
With that, the banshee screamed in Finns face and Finn screamed his little girly scream, dropped his crossbow and ran as fast as anyone had ever seen him run.

Aerrow was not impressed. "Thanks Finn!" He then realized that there was an angry banshee, possibly with a headache coming for him. "Uh...Somebody...he-" His words were cut off when the banshee grabbed him by the throat and lifted Aerrow off the ground. Piper began to panic when she opened her eyes and saw Aerrow gasping for air in the clutches of this creature of the living dead.

"Somebody! Help Aerrow!" She shouted from her corner.

Just then a loud gunshot was heard and the banshee yelped, dropping Aerrow to the ground. He landed with a thud and was opening his eyes and closing them again over and over, weezing. Vixxy was standing, with Finn right behind her, the Gun Rod in shotgun mode. She pumped it and shot the banshee a second time, this time in the shoulder. The banshee spun around and screamed at Vixxy, the windows behind both of them shattered from the velocity of the screech. Vixxy stood her ground, even when the banshee started toward her. Piper noticed Vixxy mouthing the words: "Come on Dad...Come on..."

Then, Dark Ace came running around the Research Center with a small vile of water. The vile had a gold cross on it. The angry talon commander pulled the cork stopper off the top of the vile and splashed some on the banshees face. She let out a short, but loud and painful yelp. "Stay away from my daughter!" Dark Ace said as he splashed another dose of water on the banshee, splash after splash and yelp after yelp she backed away from Dark Ace, and he followed her to keep on splashing, until finally she gave all the Storm Hawks and Vixxy one more hateful glance and disapeared in a thick, silver mist.

"She'll be back." Dark Ace growled.

"And you'll be on her blacklist." Vixxy added. "But thanks anyways, Dad." Hearing someone call Dark Ace 'Dad' still felt weird to Aerrow, who was now on his feet. He had a red mark, almost identical to the one on Storks left arm on his neck.

"Does it hurt, Aerrow?" Piper asked with concern.

"Not really." Aerrow answered. "It just really burns."

"What was that banshee Merb doing here?" Finn asked. "Why did she attack Piper?"

"More importantly, who is she?" Vixxy asked. "Let's find Stork."

Dark Ace and the other talons escorted the civlians to thier cabins and Vixxy and the Storm Hawks entered the Research Center to find Stork. Vixxy glanced toward Snipe-Jack the Zeeknops, he was focused on something and that something was Stork, cowering under Margalo's desk. "Stork?!" She called. "You can come out now, she's gone."

Stork slowly cralwed out from under the desk shaking as if he was a frightened little child. Aerrow apporoached Stork and he bagan to tremble even more. "Alright, Stork. Who is she?"

Stork stayed silent for a while and something happened that shocked the other Hawks. A tear fell from Stork's eye. "Her name is Gail." He said. "Her and I were close two years ago..."

"How close?" Finn asked with a smile on his face. Vixxy shot him a demonic glare. "You're right Vixxy. This is no laughing matter."

"Go on." Vixxy told Stork.

"She was my girlfriend."

An uproar began.

"You never told us about her, Stork." Junko said.

"What happened to her?" Piper asked.

"Yeah." Aerrow said, signalling everyone to calm down. "Explain to us why she's dead and out for revenge."

"It was an accident." Stork said. "When her and I were eightteen...Well, she was seventeen and I was eighteen, I was at her parnets summer home with her, here on Midoria." Another tear fell from Storks eye. "While her parents were gone, I tripped and fell towards her..."

"What happened, Stork?" Piper asked. "Tell us."

"I accidentally pushed her down the stairs and she hit her head pretty hard on the way down." Stork sighed. "I checked her pulse and there was nothing, I tryed CPR and there was nothing I could do to bring her back. She...She was dead."

"So what happened after that?" Aerrow asked.

"What do you think?" Stork snapped, sobbing now. "I took her body and dumped it in Banshee's Pass where nobody would find it." He pointed out the window towards the Northern horizen. "That's why she's a banshee right now." Stork prayed silently for something to come and distract everyone form this. Then, there was pounding on the Jungle gates.

Everyone went out to see what was up and the gates were opened. A young talon girl, covered in blood from head to toe, stumbled in and fainted. "Who's that?" Aerrow asked. Vixxy shrugged.

Just then, Mr. Moss, a large talon who Aerrow was fermiliar with came running. "Oh, sweet biscuits!" He shouted in his Texan accent. "It's my baby!"

"It's Alexis!" Ravess translated. "She found us!"


	8. Zombies in North Slashtown

**Chapter Eight: Zombies In North Slashtown**

Aerrow awoke from his ruff sleep. His front half was off his cot and his bottom half remained on it until-THUD- the rest of him hit the floor. He picked himself up, sat in the middle of his cot and looked over at Radarr, who was curled up in a ball at the foot of Aerrow's cot.

Aerrow had been tossing and turning all night because of what happned the night before. Gail, Piper, Alexis stumbling in all bloody and delirious with fear and anxiety. He then remembered Alexis and began to wonder if she woke up yet. He got up (and was still in his flight suit because of the shortage of clothes at the moment) and started, quietly towards the cabins door. He passed Finn, who was flat on his back with his mouth mide open, Stork who was flat on his stomach and face and Junko, who faced the side away from Aerrow. He then looked back at Radarr, who had just woken up and was now pacing toward him. Aerrow invited Radarr up and he pirched himself on Aerrow's shoulder as always.

Aerrow slowly opened the cabin door and snuck out, slowly and quietly closing the door behind him. "Morning sleeping beauty." Margalo called from behind him. "You can go to the mess hall for breakfast if you want."

"What time is it, Margalo?" Aerrow asked.

"Nine thirty." She answered.

"How's Alexis?"

"Still out." Margalo replyed. "And she must be having some weird dreams."

"Why?"

"She keeps talking about Zeeknopses, Knopses, Bruteknopses and such and then she started talking about Keira Marie." Margalo said. "Dark Ace is staying there until she wakes up. Maybe to interogate her or something when she wakes up."

"He wants to find his grilsfriend pretty bad." Aerrow said to himself. Margalo heard him.

"Like Olivia said," Margalo said, sitting on the stairs of the Research Center. "It's his Holy Grail to find her. He loves her with all his heart."

"Dark Ace has a heart?" Aerrow asked with a laugh.

"Of chorus." Margalo said, returning the laugh. "Even a ruthless Cyclonian commander has a heart. Why do you think Tom loves me?"

"Tom's a talon commander?" Aerrow asked.

"No." Margalo sighed. "But it's his ambition to become one before our baby arrives."

Aerrow thought about her words. "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah." Margalo wispered. "Don't tell anyone...Only Tom and I are supposed to know."

Aerrow nodded. Just then Vixxy and Piper came from around the corner, just as Finn, Stork and Junko were exiting thier cabin. "Alexis is awake." Vixxy exclaimed.

Everyone followed Vixxy, Star, Night and Margalo (and Piper) to the hospital. It was the small-large building right behind the Research Center. Once inside, Aerrow heard Dark Ace's voice. "Alexis, where's Keira Marie? Is Keira alright?"

The Tom was heard. "Dark Ace, let her calm down. She's very disoriented right now."

Alexis was then in everyones site. She was now clean and her wounds were wrapped in bandages. She was in a tee-shirt (and the rest of her wa hidden by her blanket), and she had light skin and light brown eyes and hair. Her hair reached her back, even though it was tied back. "So many Knopses." She cried in her Texan accent, she was Mr. Moss' daughter. "All three types of Knops."

Margalo walked over to Alexis with a large needle. "I'm taking a blood sample to test for any knid of venom." Margalo pushed the neddle into Alexis' skin and down Finn, Junko and Night went. Margalo left with the blood.

Tom then had another needle. He passed Finn, Junko and Night just as they were getting up. "Alexis." Tom said. "I'll give you something to help you relax, so you can tell your story streight and Dark Ace'll calm down." In went the needle and back down Finn, Junko and Night went. Alexis then said her words slowly and understandablely.

"Keira and I escaped from where-ever we were and the closest place to go was North Slashtown." She said, calmly because of the drug.

"Where is Keira now?" Dark Ace asked. "Is she okay? Is she alive? Where is she?"

"Dark Ace!" Star shouted. "Let...her...talk."

"Thank ya, Star." Alexis said. "Keira told me to come and find you here in the Morelloberg forest...I dunno how she is now. She stayed to hide out and help the civilians in North Slashtown."

"That's the last place we need to evacuate." Vixxy stated.

Dark Ace then bolted out the door and past Ravess. Ravess chased him down and tackled him to the ground just as he was approaching his skimmer. Dark Ace and Ravess wrestled eachother, Dark Ace was trying to escape and Ravess was trying to restrain him.

"Where do yout think your going?" Ravess yelled.

"North Slashtown." Dark Ace answered.

"All by yourself?"

"Yeah!"

"Wait for Vixxy!"

"She can meet me there!"

"WHAT IF YOU RUN INTO SOME FLATHEADS?!"

"I'LL MANAGE!"

"TOM!" Ravess called. "BRING ME SOME OF THAT STUFF YOU USED ON ALEXIS!"

"We're gonna need more than that!" Tom said as he came running. Tom then took Dark Ace's arm and egnored the curses he was saying to him. Tom injected Dark Ace with the greenish liquid that was in the needle and in seconds Dark Ace was unconcious. "Vixxy." Tom said. "Can you and the Hunters go to North Slashtown and get some civilians?"

Just then, some squawing was heard and a large...LARGE raven appeared and pirked on Vixxy's arm. Ravess exclamied that it was Mephist, Vixxy's spirit guide. The raven squawked and Vixxy nodded. "Mephist says he saw some Zombie Knights heading towards North Slashtown." Vixxy said. "Look's like we're going there now. Hecate's Hunters! get ready." She saw the looks Star and Night were giving her. "What's wrong?"

"Vixxy can we stay here with Stork?" Star asked. "You know, keep him safe?"

"I guess." Vixxy said. "But who will..."

"We'll go with you, darling." Ravess said as her and Snipe stepped forward. "We'll point out Keira Marie if we spot her."

"Okay, mom." Vixxy said. "Let's go." She looked at Aerrow. "Are you coming?" She asked. "You all still need to meet the Bruteknopses, Flatheads and Zombie Kinghts."

"Okay." Aerrow said. "Storm Hawks...Uh...excluding Stork, let's fly."

"Ride." Vixxy stated.

"Ride." Aerrow corrected himself.


	9. North Slashtown

**Chapter Nine: North Slashtown**

It was nearing noon when Vixxy managed to discretely take Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko, Tom, Margalo, Ravess and Snipe into the empty North Slashtown, with Mephists help. He flew over the town, but stayed out of hostile site. North Slashtown was the capital of Midoria and the only snowy area on the terra (excluding one myth saying that the whole terra shall freeze over if the GunWitch is to parish before passing on her abilities to the next GunWitch). The streets were silent, exept for the agonizing screams coming from down the street. The screams were followed by gunshots and the worst was assumed.

Vixxy told everyone to stay low as they climbed to the top of a large building, a half ruined bank. On the streets were Midorian civilians, humans and Merbs and a few talons lined up, facing a wall, on thier knees with thier hands over thier heads. Margalo gestured over to the line of people, three men and one woman, wearing all purple. "It's the Rage Slashers." She wispered. "The official Squadron of Midoria...I wonder where Judith is..."

"Who's Judith?" Piper wispered.

"Thier Sky Knight." Vixxy answered quietly. "The Zombie Knights are rounding more civilians up."

"Why?" Aerrow asked.

"To make them into more Zombies, Cy-Merbs and Deadings." Vixxy answered.

"What are deadings?" Finn asked. Vixxy, Margalo, Tom, Ravess and Snipe all shuttered.

"You don't want to know..." Ravess sighed.

"What are Zombie Knights?" Aerrow asked.

"Look down there." Was Toms answer.

Aerrow looked down at the streets and gasped at the 'Sky Knights' with the large guns lining everyone up. They wore black clothes that were ripped and torn in almost all places, skin was pale, scabbed and pasty and thier hair (even the men with short hair) was mangly and matted beyond belief. They shouted profanity and other curses at thier hostages. There was a group of young Merbs and people who manged to sneak away from the crowd of hostages and attempted to make a run for it.

They made it about half way down the street when a Zombie Knight man saw them. "WE GOT RUNNERS!" He yelled in a croaky voice.

A young, black haired Zombie woman loaded her gun and shot all the youngsters down. They all hit the pavement one by one. "Not now more." She groaked in a French accent. All the Storm Hawks gasped in horror to reconize the French Zombie as Dove, A member of the Rebel Duck of Gale and a good friend of theirs.

"Listen..." Margalo said. "While all of us Hunters blast all the Zombies, you Storm Hawks get the refugees to safety and we'll regroup and head back to the Jungle."

"Don't hurt Dove." Aerrow said. "She's a friend of ours."

"Well, Aerrow, Some Zombie Knights WILL try and gather up as many as they can and split as soon as we show up." Vixxy said. "If this Dove attacks instead of fleeing with the others, then we'll have no choice..."

Aerrow closed his eyes, then opened them again. They went murky, as if he was about to cry. "Okay." He sighed.

Once Vixxy, Margalo, Tom, Ravess and Snipe got out there and started a raging war, Zombie Knights, Zombie Dove including, grabbed as many runnings refugees as they could, shoved them into the large, greenish haltrack truck and stepped on the gas, leaving the others behind.

Now once all the Zombie Knights were either gone (fled or dead), the Storm Hawks regrouped with the Hunters and the Talons. There was a fair amount of refugees they rescued, so Vixxy gave Aerrow a pat on the back and informed him that Dove had fled with the Death Squad. Aerrow sighed again. "That's a oald off my mind..."

"We should get these people to the Jungle." Vixxy said. Just then, a womans voice was heard. It was fearful sounding, but tyet strong sounding. _Get away from me!_

The Hunters, Talons and Storm Hawks ran around a couple of corners and saw her. A Talon woman, with black hair, her back turned from them, kneeling on her left knee above the unconcious body of a Sky Knight in purple. Three Zombie Knight men were closing in on her. Taunting her with cat calls. "Hey baby." One said. "You got some nice skin on ya."

"Get away from me..." The Talon woman moaned. She was obviously too injured and weak to pick up her blade, wich was on the ground infront of her.

"Let me take a 'closer' look at your pretty skin." The second Zombie said.

"Get away from me..."

"I'll bet it smells as good as it looks." The third Zombie laughed.

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" The Talon woman screamed.

Then, Hecate's Hunters, The Storm Hawks and The Talons came runnings to the rescue. Vixxy shot down all three of the Zombies and the injured Talon woman muttered a thank you to all of them. Ravess' eyes lit up. "Keira Marie." She wispered.

"Ravess." The Talon sighed in return. "Snipe. I never thought I'd be happy to see your ugly face."  
Nobody was really sure if Snipe was smiling at her or not. Keira Marie definatly looked like someone Dark Ace would date. Her shoulder length black hair was silky and shiney and she had a good body, cramy tanned skin, almost like a rich mixure of white and milk chocolate. Her icy blue eyes shinned with relief. "This is Judith." She said. "They hit her pretty hard, But I think she'll be okay."

"Let's get you back to the Jungle." Ravess said, hoisting Keira up and supporting her injured comarde with her shoulder. "Dark Ace is worried sick about you."

"I'd say North Slashtown is secure." Vixxy said to Finn with a smile.


	10. Q and A With Margalo

**Chapter Ten: Q and A With Margalo**

Ravess' shoulder was now offically sore. Keira Marie wasn't heavy, she was actually a slender one, yet, she got very gavitational afer Ravess had been almost carrying her for aout a mile, before the skimmer ride back to the fort. Ravess got ready to pack her friend again, but Keira waved her away.

"Thanks, Ravess." She said. "I'll try and walk now." Ravess nodded and Keira shifted herself off the side of her skimmer. Keira stumbled for a while, but soon gained equalibrium again. She limped over to the gates of the Jungle, then looked back at Aerrow. Aerrow then realized two things about her he hadn't before. One. Keira Marie had her nose (left nostril) peirced with a small, thin, silver ring. Two. Aerrow reconsied her somehow. He didn't know where he's seen her, but he had a gut feeling he had. But from where and when?

The Jungle gates opened and everyone piled inside right before the large gates were closed behind them with an eerie screech and slam. Ravess approached a middle aged looking Talon man. "Go get the Dark Ace." She ordered. "Tell him we have a pleasant suprise for him."

With that the Talon was off and he returned afew moments later with a slouching and despressed looking Dark Ace afew paces behind him. Dark Ace hoisted his head and his back streightened as he jumped with glee to see his beloved Keira Maire. She jumped for joy to see him too. Aerrow never thought he'd see the Dark Ace smile, but that was the moment he did.  
Dark Ace and Keira together was an odd thing to see for the Storm Hawks, but yet it was beautiful too. In the joyous reunion, they held one another in eachothers arms. He swiped the tear drops from her eye, she stroked his short, jet black hair. He ran his fingers through her charcoal black hair and she kissed his several times on the cheek. This all was followed by a long hug and more tears. They then, noted that thier Talons were watching, parted and began to walk toward the hospital, yet, thier hands couldn't part from eachother.

"You go get checked out for Deadling sprites or any kind of venom, Keira." Vixxy called.

Finn looked at her. "What are Deadling sprites?"

"Possibly the worst thing you will ever incounter on this terra." Vixxy answered. She lowered her voice as if she was telling a ghost story. "If a living thing...ANY living thing happens to get possessed by a Deadling sprite, they turn into these horrible monsters."

"Really?" Piper asked. "I find that hard to believe..."

"What?" Vixxy snapped. "You haven't seen enough on this terra already?"

Piper submitted. "What about these so-called 'Flatheads'?" She asked. "Are those dangerous?"

"Heck no." Vixxy laughed, she had swinged from angry to blissful, which frightened alot. "Flatheads are the easiest demons to deal with. If you want trouble go find a Zeeknops."

"Why are Zeeknopses the most dangerous?" Aerrow asked.

"They have the most powerful venomous bite recorded." Was Vixxy's reply. "You can ask Margalo, Tom any demonologist out there. If you really wanna get along in this place, then borrow some books from Margalo and brush up on your demonology. It really helped my family when they got hear."

So with that, Aerrow and Piper went streight to the Research Center to find Margalo or Tom, hopefully both. They found Margalo studying her 'pet' Zeeknops again. "What are you doing, Margalo?" Piper asked.

Margalo looked at the couple and then went back to her clipboard. "I'm studying Zeeknops behavior still." She said. "Seeing if I can find any weaknesses I can tell Vixxy and the others about."

Aerrow began to stare at Margalo's stomach, remembering what they had discussed earlier. Margalo then snapped him out of it. "Margalo. Do you have any books we can borrow?" He asked.

"Books?" Margalo snorted walking towards her desk. "What kind of books?"

"Vixxy told us to brush up on our demonology." Piper answered.

"Ah," Margalo sighed, bringing up a huge book. It was the size of maybe two bibles and one dictionary piled on top of one another. "This book will tell you everything you need to know all the way from A to Zeeknopses." She chuckled. "A little demonology humor there." She looked at Aerrow and Pipers shocked faces. "You don't need to to read all of it." The looks disapperaed and Piper took the book.

Aerrow looked at Margalo and then looked out the door. "What can you tell me about Keira Marie?"

"Not much, I'm afraid." Margalo said quietly.

"Well, what do you know?" Aerrow asked. "Please, tell me."

"Why??" Margalo asked.

"I know I've seen her somewhere, I just can't remember." Aerrow asnwered.

Margalo thought for while, she looked at the stark ceiling and then at Aerrow. Margalo's pale hazelnut eyes met Aerrows emerald green ones and actuall this ent a shiver up Aerrow's spine.  
"Keira Marie and Dark Ace have known eachotehr for a while now." Margalo began. "They met shortly before the 'Old Storm Hawks' where massacred. Keira I think came from Terra Atmosia, umm...She was married before to a Sky Knight named...Ummm, Geoffrey something."

"I knew Geoffrey." Aerrow said. "Dark Ace killed him too. He was good friends with my dad."

"Dark Ace killed Geoffrey defending Keira Marie, because they loved eachother, you can say Keira was cheating on Geoffrey for Dark Ace." Margalo went on. "When Geoffrey found out that thier daughter, Samara was Dark Ace's child, he beat Keira Marie half to death before Dark Ace showed up and they duked it out for a while."

"What happened after that?" Piper asked, gaining interest.

"Dark Ace ended up strangling Geoffrey and he and Keira Marie ran off together." Margalo answered. "Keira dropped Samara off to live with a friend on Terra Nimbus, cause she knew she's be safe at a Terra Cyclonian occupied, being the Dark Ace's girlfriend and all. That got her and Samara alot of respect."

"Can you tell us more?" Piper asked.

"I'm afraid that's all I know." Margalo answered. She looked at Aerrow. "If your feeling brave, you can go talk to Dark Ace. Maybe he can explain why you think Keira looks so fermiliar to you." With that, Margalo went back to her work.

When Aerrow and Piper (with the huge book in her arms) left the Research Center, Aerrow spotted Dark Ace, talking with Snipe and Tom. He took this as an opprotunity. "Piper." He said. "This will probably be the only time Dark Ace and I'll have ameaningful conversation...So maybe I should talk to him."

Piper put the book under her far arm and placed her hand on Aerrows shoulder. As Aerrow walked down the metallic stairs, an alarm from the east watch tower was sounded. As everyone looked up at the Talon up there, she pointed over to the South watch tower, everyones attention was then turned to a Zeeknops biting another Talon by the neck. The Talon twitched as the Zeeknops dropped him and roared. Vixxy and the Hunters and the rest of the Storm Hawks were insite just as everyone began to panic and hide in the cabins, centers, whichever was closer.

The Zeeknops roared again, this time fully exposing its seven tongues and bloody teeth. It jumped down and landed right infront of a screaming Piper. It then grabbed her and jumped over the fort walls again. Aerrow then ran for the gates and his energy blades blasted them open, luckily without damaging them. The Zeeknops and Piper were nowhere to be seen. Aerrow dropped to his knees and dramaticly screamed at the sky: "NOOOOOO! PIPER!" he then through himself on the ground and layed flat on his stomach. "Piper, no." He cried.

"Don't worry, Aerrow." Star said. "We'll find her."


	11. Vixxy's Big Risk

**Chapter Eleven: Vixxy's Big Risk**

Aerrow paced around the Research Center in a panic. Margalo, however had everyone else gathered at her desk with a map. "Okay." She said. "The Zeeknops, sent by Gail most likely, will be heading toward Banshee's Pass."

"Why Banshee's Pass?" Stork asked.

"Becasue that's where you put her." Keira Marie snapped at him. "Thus, that's where her camp is set up." The rest of the Storm Hawks shot her a looks as if to say either: "You can't talk to him like that!" or "Jeez, you and Dark Ace are perfect for eachother."

"Am I the only one who thinks Gail is the one who's doing this to the Midorians and the Merbs and such?" Dark Ace asked. Margalo gave him a nod and then looked at Vixxy.

"Maybe you and the Hunters can cut off the Zeeeknops in the North Slashtown forest." Margalo said. "Hopefully, your skimmers can take you there fast enough."

"We're going too." Aerrow said immediantly.

Just then, Olivia came through the door. "You can call off the rscue mission for Piper." She said. "She came back. Yet she doesn't looks so good."

Everyone ran out to Piper. She had what looked like a rash on her arms. She itched at them as Margalo took her to the hospital. "What wrong with me?" Piper asked.

"It's not Zeeknops venom." Tom answered. "If it was, you'd be either dead or dying right now."

"It's...." Star shined a small flashlight in Pipers golden eyes. She then flew back and hit the wall in a panic. She gestured Margalo over. "Go get Vixxy..." She wispered.

"What's wrong with Piper?!" Aerrow demanded.

"Shhhhhh." Star cried. "Keep your voice down!"

"What is it?" Piper asked, she began to cry.

Aerrow began to walk to Piper to comfort her, but Star seized him by the arm. "No." She wispered. "Don't go near her."

Then, Margalo lead Vixxy in. "What's going on?" Vixxy asked.

Star wispered to Vixxy so quietly, Aerrow coudn't hear her.  
"I think I deserve to know." Aerrow said. "We all do."

"Okay," Vixxy wispered. "Aerrow you can't say anything otherwise it will come out of Piper."

"WHAT WILL-" Aerrow calmed himself and wispered. "What will come out of Piper."

"Piper is possessed by a Deadling Sprite." Vixxy wispered. "It has to be removed quickly, thus painfully."

"Painfully?" Aerrow repeated.

"Deadlings don't come out easy, Aerrow." Star said.

"You have to force them out with a powerful incantation." Night said. "In fact, I'm not sure if Vixxy is powerfull enough without an Oracle."

"What's the worst that can happen?" Vixxy wispered.

Ravess then butted in. "Remember, Vixxy." She said quietly. "There are some spells, where if you use them without an Oracle by your side, they can render you unconcious...and-"

"And even some can kill me." Vixxy said. "I know. I'll just take that risk." Vixxy walked over to Piper. "How are you, Piper?"

"I-I don't feel so good." Piper groaned. "I don't feel well at all, Vixxy." Piper clutched her stomach.

Vixxy placed her hands on each side of Pipers head. Basicly holding it like a basketball. "Deadling!" She yelled. Piper beagn to squirm and make strange squealing sounds. "This girl does not deserve to be forever trapped in pergetory." Vixxy continued. Soon Ravess and Keira Marie had ato hold Piper down as she began to scream. "You have no permission to await your hour of reprisal. You're time, at my count shall slip away." Piper began to scream to the top of her lungs and her skin began to bleed. Vixxy continued. "Bleeding it's horror. Bleed for my stucture, for you shall never reign in Piper's blood!" Vixxy finsihed and Piper REALLY began screaming, Ravess and Keira let her go and she rolled off Margalos desk and flopped around like a fish, clutching her head and screaming. "You shall never reign in Piper's blood!" Vixxy repeated.

Piper stopped and layed still, her skin still bleeding. A grey ball of what looked like ectoplasm, a thick, yet translucent ball flew out of the side of Piper's head. Vixxy adressed it as the Deadling Sprite. It couldn't harm anyone becasue Vixxy's incanation had weakened it. Vixxy lost posture and Ravess stood behind her to catch her if she fell. "I'm fine, Mom." Vixxy said. "I'm okay...A little weak, but I'm okay." Vixxy then started to cough. "I'm okay." She repeated.

Margalo lifted Piper's out-cold body and looked at Aerrow's mortifyed face. "She'll be okay." She said. "She just needs some rest." With that, Margalo disappeared.

Aerrow looked at Vixxy as she followed some Talons out the hospital door. She was still coughing, so Aerrow patted her back. With that, she sputtered for awhile. Aerrow looked at Vixxy's hand, the hand that was over her mouth had blood on it. "Vixxy!" Aerrow shouted in shock. "You're coughing up blood!"

Margalo responded. "Vixxy's coughing up blood?!"

"I'm fine." Vixxy repeated as she sputtered more blood. "I'm fine." She repeated again. Then, her nose began to bleed. "I am not fine." She said.

"Come with me." Margalo said. "Aerrow, do me a favor and tell Dark Ace and Ravess to come to the hospital right away.

Aerrow obeyed and informed Dark Ace and Ravess of what was happening. He and Finn then decided to stay by the doors to the Research Ceneter. From there, they could see Dark Ace, Keira Marie, Ravess and Margalo standing there, but they couldn't hear them. Vixxy exited the hospital and joined them. Vixxy then noticed something. "Why is my Mom crying?" She asked. "What did Margo say to her?"

Shortly after, Ravess came to Vixxy and began to discuss the Oracle issue with her again. Vixxy snapped. "I'm not getting and Oracle, Mom!" She yelled. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you!" Vixxy began to walk away. "I'm not endangering an innocent boy's life for my own selfish needs!"

Tears ran down Ravess' face. "You're dying, Vixxy!" She yelled after her.

Vixxy stopped and turned. "What?"

"Freeing the Storm Hawks over loaded your magical compasity, Vixxy." Ravess sobbed. "Margalo said if you don't find an Oracle in less then four hours, you'll cough to death."

Vixxy then began to cry with her mother. Aerrow looked into Finns concerned face.

_I can't let her die. _Finn thought. _She doesn't deserve to die. What can I do? I can't become her Oracle. Can I?_


	12. Finn Makes A Promise

**Chapter Twelve: Finn Makes A Promise**

Finn walked around the Jungle for a while that night. He couldn't even believe that Vixxy's life was setting with the sun. He'd lost count, but he knew Vixxy didn't have much time yet. Finn just paced around the Jungle with his crossbow in hand, he had never been so depressed in his life.

_I love her, there's no doubt about that one_. He thought to himself_. But how can it work out between me and her? I'm a Storm Hawk and she's a Cyclonian and not just any Cyclonian. She's the Dark Ace's daughter. I'm outta my league, dude.  
I don't want her to die though. I live her too much to let her die. Just, some one give me a sign. What should I do_?

As a tear rolled down Finn's cheek, a large grey dog grabbed his crossbow right out of his hands and ran off with it. "HEY!" He shouted and cursed at it, but it didn't come back. It stopped at the opened fortess gates and looked at Finn mockingly. It was as if it wanted to follow him. The dog put down the crossbow and then playfully jumped around. This made Finn smile and when the dog barked and picked up his bow again, he was positive the dog wanted him to follow.  
Without giving it a second thought, Finn dashed out the fortess gates and followed the dog down the moonlit trail. It must have been nearing midnight. Finn followed the dog right into a jade green fog. Finn cursed as the dog disappeared. Finn looked around and had no idead where he was. The only thing visible was the dead grass and the headstones.

"Head stones?!" Finn jumped back in shock. "This place has zombies! Not cool! Awe man, where am I?"

_Are you lost_? A beautiful voice said from all around Finn.

"Where are you?!" Finn was unarmed, but showed no fear. He raised his fists. "Show yourself, or else!"

_Or else what_? The voice echoed in his head again.

"Tell me right now, where are you?!" Finn demanded.

_Turn around_.

Finn nervously obeyed as slowly turned. He saw a very tall, beautifull, middle aged woman standing right infront of him. He stood stunned with his mouth open at her. She had very long misty black hair that seemed to wave in in its own self generated wind. She wore a long black dress and a green cloak/cape over her back and shoulders, and her eyes and lips were an eerily dark green. From under her cloak, she produced Finns crossbow and held it in her stark white hand with long, black nails. "My dog had this." She exclaimed in her gental voice. "I suppose it's yours?"

"Thank you." Finn said as the stanger handed what was his back.

"Your welcome, Finn."

"How do you know my name?" Finn asked.

"I know much about you." She said.

"That's creepy." Finn stuttered, backing away into the fog that surrounded him and the woman.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked, following.

"No." Finn said as he fell into a ditch. He landed on his backside and sat in the trench. "Can you tell me, please."

"I am Hecate." She said. "Great Goddess, Queen of the Witches and Vixentina Dark's mistress."

"Hecate?" Finn breathed. "Wow..." He jumped up. "Oh, pardon my...disrespect? It's just that...ummm..."

"I sence in you..." The Goddess said. "Great pain and concern."

"Yeah." Finn sighed. "For-"

"For Vixxy." Hecate said for Finn. "Your beloved."

"She's not my beloved." Finn said with a wince.

"You can't lie to a Goddess, Finn." Hecate chuckled. "I know every feeling, every thought, every emotion you have. You love Vixxy with all your heart. You've never-"

"Loved anyone like I love her." Finn cut her off. He then seemed to remember she was a powerful being. "I'm so sorry." He said, starting to kneel.

"Arise, my child." Hecate chuckled in glee. "I'm not here to embrase your fear and respect. I'm hear to tell you why you are here."

"Really?" Finn asked in joy. "Why am I here? Why did the Condor crash? Who sent the thing that attacked us? What will happen to all of us?"

"You are here because it's your destiny to be here, Finn." Hecate said. "And the rest is for you to find out on your own."

"What do you mean 'it's my destiny'?" Finn asked. "My destiny, as the Domo, was to be eaten."

"Yes, Finn." The Goddess spoke. "But you have no idea how bored prohets and prophetesses can be. When you weren't eaten, they came up with a new prophecy."

"This one better be good." Finn groaned.

"You, the Great Domo, are destined to be the Oracle of the GunWitch of today." Hecate then produced from her cloak, a plate made of stone that had carved and painted on it an ingraving of Finn and Vixxy together with an army of Cy-Merbs, All three types of Knops and Zombies behind them. "All this is happening, Vixxy is dying because it was meant to be."

"This is really creepy." Finn sighed.

"Will you exept your responcibilities and honors as the GunWitches Oracle?" Hecate asked.

Finn hesitated. "Yes." He then answered.

"Are you aware of the risks and strengths of the bond you and Vixentina will share?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise to stay forever with Vixentina by her side through better and worse?"

"Yes."

Hecate smiled with mirth, which was suprising for the Goddess of Dark Magic. "You know your destiny, Finn. Now fulfil it!"

Finn then woke up on the ground in the Jungle, right beside the Research Center. He noticed that the temperature outside had dropped dramaticly and it was slwoly beggining to snow. Vixxy didn't have much time. "Thanks for the wake up call, Hecate!" Finn shouted to the sky. This made some Talons stare at him. Finn ran over to them. "Hey, where's Vixxy?"

"Vixxy?" The Female Talon said. "She's in her cabin. She said she wants to die peacfully without anyone crying beside her."

Finn ran to Vixxy's cabin and almsot broke the door down. There was Vixxy. She was laying on her cot with her eyes, pale and wide open staring at the wood roof. She looked over to Finn. Her face was pale, this was her final minute. "I wanna die alone." She groaned.

"Vixxy." Finn said, breathlessly. "I met Hecate."

"You met Hecate?" Vixxy asked as she tried to sit up. She cramped up and layed back down.

Finn sat down and cradled her in his arms. "She told me it's my destiny to be your Oracle."

"No!" Vixxy said instantly. "I'm not putting your life in danger to save my own worthless hide!"

"Vixxy." Finn counselled. "If you die, the terra'll freeze over and all these civilians you worked so hard to save, and your squadron, your family and thier squadron, everyone will be doomed to death without the GunWitch." Vixxy said nothing, but her dark eyes said all. She was still concerned about Finns safety. Finn finally spoke the words he wanted to say from the beginning. "I love you, Vixxy." He then shut his eyes tightly.

"I love you too, Finn." Vixxy responded. "That's why I don't want you to take such a huge risk."

"I wanna take this huge risk." Finn said. "I'll take my chances with fate."

Vixxy hesitated. "Well, hurry up. I'm...fading...fast."

"How do I become your Oracle?" Finn asked.

"You...have to..." Vixxy blinked. "You have to kiss me."

Those words hit Finn like a ton of bricks. This was the only time he could recall when he was in a serious siduation and didn't want to kid around as usual. But still, he let Vixxy sit up and she stuggled to sit up steight. They leaned into eachother until their lips touched.


	13. Evacuation and Battle

**Chapter Thirteen: Evacuation and Battle**

"Okay...okay...okay." Ravess wispered to herself as the stopped falling in the window behind her. She was clearly trying to keep herself from losing her mind. "Okay...So let's look at our siduation here..." She paced back over to Margalo's desk, where Dark Ace, Keira Marie, Snipe, Margalo, Tom, Snipe and more Talons were gathered.

"We have barely any Talons left." One Talon said.

"And the worst of all our problems now is that the GunWitch is dead." Another Talon cried. "I'll bet it's just a matter of time before this place freezes over!"

"QUICK!" The only female Talon (next to Ravess and Keira) screamed in a panic. "EVERYBODY! COMMIT SUICIDE WHILE YOU STILL CAN! I'm gonna go put a bullet through my head right now!"

She bolted out the doorway with Snipe right behind her. "LILY! COME BACK!!"

Dark Ace shook his head. "Get all the Talon's together." He said. "We retreat to Terra Nimbus at dawn."

"We're just leaving?" Keira Marie asked, suddenly shocked. "We can't just leave the Storm Hawks and all these Midorians alone here to parish!"

"We can and we will." Dark Ace said. "That's an-" Dark Ace was cut off when Keira Marie clutched his nearby hand and squeezed it. He looked into her ice blue eyes and she looked into his dark burgandy ones."

"Dark Ace." Keira Marie said. "Please, let's put this 'temporary truse' with the Storm Hawks to good point and stay and fight."

"You just wanna help your little brother, don't you, Ava?" Ravess snapped.

"Ravess..." Dark Ace growled in warning.

"What did you call me?" Keira breathed as Snipe returned with a tear stained Talon woman, Alexis and Amos, Mr. Moss' assistant trailing behind.  
Amos had a huge crush on Alexis, so he usually just followed her around whenever she was there. Alexis didn't mind this, her and Amos were childhood compainions.

"Did I stammer?" Ravess snapped as she walked right up to Keira's lovely, but angry face. "I called you 'Ava'."

"Don't you ever called me that again." Keira growled as she pointed a finger at Ravess' nose. "EVER! Ava is dead. I'm Keira Marie."

"Girls, girls, girls." Dark Ace said, trying to break them up. "We're all on the same side here-"

"Yes, you are Keira Marie." Ravess breathed, cutting him off shrudly. "But whenever Dark Ace isn't inside you, your former self, Ava will always be there...No matter what. And Geoffry..."

"Ravess, don't bring up Geoffry!" Dark Ace said. "I know your upset, I am too, but don't take it out on a fellow Talon!" Dark Ace seized Ravess by the shoulders and started to shake her until she became nautious.

Ravess breathed deeply. She looked over at Keira, who looked like she was struggling to hold back a river of tears. "I'm sorry...Keira." She sighed. "I didn't mean to say all that, or bring up, you-know-who..."

"Okay.." Keira Marie snorted. "It's okay." She started choking and Dark Ace grabbed her and held her close to his chest. Keira Marie began to weep and all the Talons(including Snipe, Lily, Alexis and Amos) in the room hung their heads.

"If we're not gonna flee," Amos spoke. "Then what are we gonna do?"

Dark Ace looked down at Keira Marie and then back at all his comrades. "We fight."

A smile erupted from Keira Marie's wet face. "Oh, Dark Ace." She cooed in joy.

"Tell at the Talons to unpack and prepare for evacuation and battle." Dark Ace said, sounding like the leader of a proud army. "We're not going anywhere!"

"Evacuation?" Snipe asked.

"We have to get all these civilians to safety." Ravess caught on.

"It's funny." Alexis said to Amos as all the Talons exited the Research Center. "We're putting aside our 'normal duties' all because Keira Marie is really-" She shut her mouth tightly as Aerrow came from around the corner.

"Hey, Alexis." Aerrow said. "Have you seen Finn?"

"No, I aint seen him." Alexis replyed.

Aerrow looked back. "Keira Marie looked like she was crying. what happened?"

"Oh, Her and Ravess had an argument about a guy named Geoffry." Amos thoughtlessly said right before Alexis elbowed him in the side.

"Geoffry?!" Aerrow asked, sounding suprised and disturbed.

"What?" Alexis responded. "You knew him?"

"He was married to my sister, Ava." Aerrow said.

Alexis and Amos looked at eachother. It felt as if their hearts stopped.


	14. Keira Maries Secret Past

**Chapter Fourteen: Keira Maries Secret Past**

Dark Ace stood infront of Vixxy's cabin, tapping his index finger against the door knob. He took a breath and slid the door opened expecting to see a dead body, but instead, he saw a Storm Hawk with his arm around his daughters waist, both of them asleep. Dark Ace thought he heard the nerve in the back of his brain snap right off. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE WASTELANDS?!" The two teenagers jerked awake. Finn's face flushed whiter then Hecate's face.

"Hey Dad." Vixxy nervously laughed. "Uh, you can tell Mom and Uncle Snipe I found and Oracle."

"Oh, no, Oh no. Vixxy." Dark Ace said as he paced back and forth, left to right and shifted side to side, pulling at his hair. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...No, no, no. Not a Storm Hawk. Please Vixxy. No, no, no, no." He sat against the wall with a thud. "No, no, no, no, no. Why?"

"Because he cared." Vixxy answered. This made Dark Ace smile. He hugged Vixxy.

"Atleast your alive and ready to fight, now much stronger." Dark Ace said optimisticly. He then looked at Finn, who was trembling on Vixxy's cot. "You..." He growled. "It's now your sworn duty and honor to protect and, uhh..." He sighed. "Love my daughter." He finished with a groan. "You mess it up and I will make you wish you're parents never came together and even THOUGHT about creating you... Come Vixxy, You have to break the news to your mother and Uncle...Along with the rest of Cyclonia."

Vixxy looked back at Finn. "He can't hurt you now." She said. "Since the kiss, we now share eachothers strengths, weaknesses, fears and even pain."

"Trippy." Finn said as he followed Vixxy out.

"Mom!" Vixxy called to Ravess.

"VIXXY!" She screamed as she constricted around Vixxy. "You're alive! But how? You found an Oracle?"

"Yes." Vixxy said. "But-"

"Happy day!" Ravess shouted in glee, then her smile disappeared. "But what?"

Vixxy nervously laughed again. "But he's a Storm Hawk." She gestured back to Finn, who waved.

Ravess stood there speechless for a while, before she fainted. BAM! Afew minute later, Ravess opened her eyes and garbbed Vixxy by the arm. "A STORM HAWK?!...The marksman?"

"Suprise." Vixxy huffed.

"Look on the bright side, Ravess." Alexis said from the group of Talons behind. "Atleast Vixxy is alive to help us now."

Then, Aerrow, Piper, Junko, Radarr and Stork came from around th corner, however, Stork followed Star and Night, who were just rounding the corner. "Finn!" Aerrow shouted. "There you are. Where have you been?"

"Kissing my daughter." Dark Ace answred for Finn.

"Finn, you didn't." Piper said.

Finn tried to change the subject. "Good to see you up and about, Piper."

"Don't try to change the subject, Finn." Aerrow snapped.

"Yeah." Finn sighed. "I'm Vixxy's Oracle now."

"Do you have any idea the danger you've put yourself in, young man?" Ravess asked. "We could have gotten a nice Talon for Vixxy's Oracle."

"Oh, yeah." Aerrow huffed. "That's smart and good parenting. Pairing your fourteen year old daughter with a grown man. Atleast Finns only a year older then Vixxy."

The Talon named Lily spoke up from behind Snipe, who was to the left of Ravess now. "If Vixxy wants to let a Storm Hawk be her partner for life, then I support her."

Vixxy smiled at all the nodding heads of the Talons. She just waited for her family to react. Finally, they eached nodded aswell, even Keira Marie. "We have planning to do." Ravess said. "Come on, Vixxy. We need to rally the Talons, Sky Knights, Hunters, civilians, whoever can still fight."

"I take it the war is on." Keira Marie said as she followed Dark Ace, who followed the group.

"Keira Marie!" Aerrow called. "For the sake of having a meaningful conversation with a Talon, can I ask you afew questions?"

Keira Marie nodded and giving Dark Ace a quick smack on the lips, she let him go rally. When Aerrow and Keira were alone, they sat on the nearest cabin deck stairs. "What do you need to know, Aerrow?"

"I need to ask you about your past." Aerrow said.

Keira Marie flinched. "Ummm, not now. We have something planned for you and the other Storm Hawks."

"What do you mean?" Aerrow asked. "Just a quick summary of your past. Friends? Family? An old marriage?"

"No, Aerrow." Keira Marie said as she began to power walk away. "I can't."

"Why not?" Aerrow asked, chasing her. "What are you hiding? TELL ME!"

"Dark Ace!" Keira called, tears in her eyes. The Talon commander appeared. She threw herself in his arms like a frightened child.

"Is he bothering you?" Dark Ace asked, as if he was talking to a frightened child. "Are you bothering her!?" He then demanded.

"No." Aerrow snapped. "I just asked her about her past, because I'm curious!"

Dark Ace let Keira go and she stayed back as he walked to Aerrow and stopped right infront of him. "Never ask her about her past!"

"Why not?!"

"Because, she had one heck of a past." Dark Ace answered sourly. "You can ask me, Ravess and Snipe. We were there every step of the way with her."

"Okay, guys." Ravess told the Talons, Margalo, Tom, Star and Night. "Go round up the Storm Hawks and once we're all here, we'll get to the Deadling Training." Everyone cleared out and Aerrow, Dark Ace, Ravess, Snipe and Keira Marie were alone.

"Okay." Aerrow said, egnoring Ravess. "I'll ask you."

"I'll tell him." Keira Marie said. "Aerrow? Do you know who I really am?"

"I know I've seen you somewhere." Aerrow responded.

"I'm...I'm...I'm...I'm your sister."

"Ava?"

"Uh huh."

"Ava?"

"Yeah."

"Ava?!" Anger started to grow in Aerrow's voice.

"Yes. I'm Ava." Keira sighed. She started to cry. "Aerrow, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before."

"No..." Aerrow said. "You can't be Ava. She died four years ago."

"About that, Aerrow." Keira Marie said. "After my ex-husband got killed...died, I submitted my elligence to Master Cyclonis and she gave me a cyanide mixture that made me appear dead, but I could be revived with an antidote."

"I was at Ava's funeral." Aerrow said, he started to tear up. "This can't be true."

"I swear, it's true and I'll tell you truthfully whatever you ask now." Keira sobbed.

"So, you faked your own death to run off with Dark Ace, the man who killed our father, after your loving husband died?" Aerrow yelled.

"Loving?!" Ravess asked outraged. "Geoffry beat the living criminey out of her on a daily basis!"

Keira Marie nodded in approval. "It's true. One day, when Geoffry...found out that Smamara, our daughter...was Dark Ace's child...He beat me until I was seeing double of everything....I managed to see that he had the shotgun...I heard him say he had two shells in it...One for me and one for Samara." Tears streamed from her eyes. Dark Ace, Ravess and Snipe eachother found a way to comfort her. Hugging her or holding her hand. "I blanked out, I thouht I was dead, and then, I woke up in the hospital in Atmosia. Dark Ace, Ravess, Snipe and Samara were there, Samara was seven at the time....Dark Ace told me that Geoffry wouldn't be bothering me and Sami anymore."

Aerrow looked at Dark Ace in horror. "You killed him too?!"

"It was a fight to the death." Dark Ace said. "It was either Geoffry died and I'd take care...better care of his wife and MY daughter, or I died and he continued to torchre them!"

"You cared?!" Aerrow snapped.

"Dark Ace worships the ground Keira Marie walks on." Snipe said to Aerrow. "Just because he's the Dark Ace doesn't mean he can't fall in love."

"Nobody's immune to love, Aerrow." Piper said as she approached.

"You believe this Piper?" Aerrow asked in shock.

"Aerrow, look at Keira Marie." Piper said as she turned Aerrow's face toward her. She was holding herself, tears filling her eyes. "Not even a Talon Temptress like her can fake those kind of tears."

Aerrow thought for a while. "So...You really love the Dark Ace, Ava?"

"Yes." Keira answered. "And Ava's dead. I'm Keira Marie."

"I you really love...Keira Marie?" Aerrow asked Dark Ace.

"Yes." He answered. "I love you sister. I take her on conquest missions with me and she comes in very handy, I sleep with her." Dark Ace then flashed his evil smile. "I make sweet love to her."

Keira Marie sighed.

Aerrow started screaming. "Thank you for putting that image in my head!" he yelled.

Then everyone else came around into the center of the Jungle. "Okay, we're here." Stork said, standing in between Star and Night. "What are we doing?"

"Well," Ravess said. "Since we know for a fact we could be dealing with Deadlings, Vixxy thinks you Storm Hawks need to learn how to fight them."

"Okay," Finn said. "So where are we going to find some Deadlings, whatever they are?"

"Nowhere." Vixxy said. "We have some Deadlings here right now."

"I don't get it..." Junko said.

"This is where Alexis comes in." Margalo said. "She was born a very special girl."

"So you're saying, Alexis Moss isn't...normal?" Piper asked.

"No she isn't." Tom answered. "Not at all."

"Alexis can use her imagination to bend reality." Vixxy finished. "Are you guys ready to do this?"

"Bring it." Finn answered. "How scary can Deadlings be?" Finn the got nervous after he heard Alexis chuckle.


	15. Deadling Training

**Chapter Fifteen: Deadling Training**

The Talons formed a large circle and Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork and Radarr each positioned themselves somewhere in the center. Vixxy, Alexis, Dark Ace and Keira Marie all took a place on the balcony of the upstairs of the Research Center. From there, they could get a good view of the center of the circle. "What are you guys doing up there?" Aerrow shouted up at them.

"I'm up here to coach you." Vixxy answered.

"I need a clear vision of whatever I'm gonna be focusin' on." Alexis added.

Dark Ace blinked. "Keira Marie and I just wanted good seats."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aerrow asked.

"What?" Dark Ace called.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Aerrow screamed, Piper covered her ears.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL! I'M RIGHT HERE!" Dark Ace screamed back, leaning over the railing so far Aerrow started to hope he'd fall and break something.  
That would teach him to date and drill who used to be his sister. The whole fact of what Keira marie kept from him was still bothering Aerrow.

Piper shook her head. "So what exactly are we doing, Vixxy?" She asked.

"Well, Alexis will use her 'specail abilities' we told you about to penetrate all your minds and simulate Deadlings right infront of you." Vixxy said. "All you have to do is fight them off until Alexis gets a headache and stops to simulation."

"Sounds easy enough." Finn replyed, giving Vixxy a thumbs up. "It's nothing the Oracle Domo can't handle."

"Oh really?" Vixxy wispered. "Okay, Alexis. Whenever you're ready..."

"Get ready, Storm Hawks." Alexis called, the Storm Hawks prepared for the worst. "Oh, and just to warn ya'll...the images I shall make-in ya see...even though they's cain't physically harm ya'll, they's can destroy you mentally."

With that, Alexis closed her eyes and started to hum and slow tune, this helped her concentrate on her mind power. Alexis continued to hum and placed her hands on her head. Each Storm Hawk lost site of the other and it looked like they were alone in a dark, empty relm. Aerrow called out to Piper, but all he heard was the eacho of his own voice. "What's going on?" He asked himself. "It's Alexis doing all this?!"  
Suddenly, a tall, tanned, lovely blonde girl in a white outfit appeared infront of Aerrow. She just sat there and starred at him, kind of twitching as she blinked. "Hey..." Aerrow spoke. "Are you okay?"  
The girl didn't speak, she just blinked at Aerrow. Once that started to creep him out, she started to breathe hard and clutch her stomach, similar to what Piper did when Vixxy exorcized her. She girl fell to her knees and continued to pant, twitch and make odd sweaking noises. Aerrow started to back away when she put her head down and her skin turned pale and scabby, her hair matted up and turned a dead soot grey, and the girl began to scream, her head up and her skin sabatoshed. Soon, the girl stood up streight, exept for her head, which dangled around, as if her neck was broken. She looked at Aerrow with her dead, pale, expressionless eyes and screamed a strangled, but deafening screech.

_Draw your weapons!_

Aerrow thought he heard Vixxy's voice from the far off distance. The Deadling girl, still going through her fianl stages of her grim tansformation. "What!" Aerrow called to the echoing distance. Aerrow then distinctively heard Vixxy's voice.

_AERROW! FOR THE LOVE OF HECATE'S NAME! DRAW YOUR WEAPONS BEFORE SHE KILLS YOU!!_

Aerrow looked at the girl again and she was crawling awefully quickly towards him. She jumped at Aerrow and he took one of his blades and lit it up. It went through her chest and she screamed in agony. The Deadling threw herself to the black ground and began to flop around like she was having some short of aweful seizer. She flopped and screamed, until she stopped and lied still, deathly still. Then, the blackness faded and Aerrow found himself back at the Jungle with a circle of laughing Talons. He glanced behind himself to the pale faces of his comrades. "Piper!" Aerrow said. "Are you okay? You're looking a little green..."

"Speak for yourself, kid." A Talon called. "You should have all seen your faces." The Talon then made a mocking face that was both funny and terrifyed looking.

"Stop it!" One other Talon said. "You're scaring me!"

The laughing continued and Vixxy and Alexis came out and walked towards the shaking Storm Hawks, Dark Ace and Keira Marie an inch away, laughing themselves half way to death too.

"Aweful, aren't they?" Vixxy asked.

Every single Storm Hawk nodded thier heads, it was as if they had all witnessed a gruesome murder (they technically did). "That was a good thing to prepare us for." Aerrow said. "But I have one question...What is so funny?" He gestured to the laughing Talons.

"Oh," Vixxy chuckled. "All of you froze and you all looked pretty silly from all of our point of views. Your faces FELUSHED pale white, Finn screamed, Stork almost threw up, Piper started to cry and so on. We really should have caught it on tape..." She turned to Alexis, who was clutching her head. "You okay, Alexis?"

"Owe....Criminy...." Alexis moaned. "It feels like little foresters murdering accountents as they were type writin' with chainsaws....Hooey...Do that whole thing with six overloads my brain power."

"Let's go get you's some ice." Amos said to Alexis as he led her away.

"Vixxy..." Finn asked, Vixxy, who was walking away too, turned to face him.

"Yeah Finn?"

"Are Deadlings really like that?"

"Oh, yeah." Vixxy said. "Like I said, they are the worst things you can run into."

"Why?" Piper asked. "How do they attack?"

"They can either grab you with six blades tht turn out to be thier own rib-cages or rip your skin off peice by peice." Star intercepted as she took her place at Storks right side.

"And what was with the..." Piper began to immitate the Deadling girl going through the change, she make the sweaking noises.

"The body is controlled by the mind, right?" Night said as she stood at Storks left side. "Well, when a Deadling Sprite takes over your body...it slits the mind in half first...That's why when they transform, the victims clutch thier heads for a while."

"Then why do they clutch thier stomachs?" Finn asked, after thinking it over. "What's happening there?"

"When the Deadling completely takes over..." Star said evily.

"The victims bones begin to...switch out of order." Night added.

"As a result..."

"BAM! The rib-cages of the victims come brusting out of thier bodies and become weapons for the Deadling."

The other Storm Hawks clinged at the Shade Twins, but Stork was over-joyed and possibley more then just exited. "Aren't Starshade and Nightshade great?" He asked. "They've got doom on the mind too."

With that the three Merbs walked off. Vixxy looked at the Research Center. "There's something going on in there. Let's check it out."

By the time Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Vixxy, Radarr and Junko got to the door of the Center, Margalo had said: "It's very clear to me now. Stork's 'Gail' is behind this whole thing and the reason she is doing all this to the Midorians, Sky Knights, Talons and Merbians is to create an army of the living dead to take over the Quadron...However, her main objective is to wait for _Black Sunshine_ so she can summon the Flathead King."

"What's going on?" Vixxy asked, the Storm Hawks still behind her. "I'm the GunWitch. I desverve to know. What about _Black Sunshine_ and the Flathead King?"

"Vixxy." Ravess said. "True, with the Flathead King by her side, Gail would have us all at her mercy, but to summon the Flathead King at _Black Sunshine_ she'll need the energy of a pure soul."

"What is _Black Sunshine_?" Aerrow asked. "Who's the Flathead King?"

"_Black Sunshine_ is an event, Aerrow." Dark Ace replyed from the back of the room, where he and Keira Marie were sitting. "It takes happens every ten thousand years. _Black Sunshine _is when the moon is at its fullest and demons are in closer reach."

"English, please." Finn sighed.

Vixxy laughed. "_Black Sunshine_ is when the spirit world is closest to our world."

"Exactly." Dark Ace said. "I don't know much about the Flathead King though....Margalo?"

Margalo sighed. "Leave it to the demonololgist...The Flathead King is the biggest Flathead there is. He's so big the other Flatheads respect him out of fear, that's why he's the Flathead King. Nobody's really SEEN him, so he can't be described. But one thing is known, he's too dangerous and strong...even for the GunWitch."

Vixxy huffed. "Enable to even get the Flathead King here, Gail is going to need a PURE soul. Where is she going to find one of those?"

There was a short silence. Then Margalo broke it. "Keira Marie." She said.

"What?" Kiera asked.

"What?" Dark Ace repeated as he sat on Margalo's desk and placed her on his lap. "Keira Marie? Why?"

"Keira Marie is a woman who was beaten crazy by her hulk of a husband, and yet she carried on and learned some new things." Margalo explained. "Thus she is the purest of us here. Dark Ace...Keep an eye on your girl."

" I shall." Dark Ace replyed.

That night, around four am, Dark Ace and Keira Marie layed asleep on one cot, over the blanket. Dark Ace had one arm around Keira Marie's waist as she faced away from him. Both of them fast asleep and unaware of the healf dead Merbian Banshee in the far dark corner of the cabin, her pale eyes fixed on Keira Marie.

* * *

**Note from the author:**

**I hope your enjoying the story so far.**

**Well, we're offically half way done now, so keep on reading. Chapter Sixteen will be coming your way shortly. **

**Thanks, renegade-demoness**


	16. Unlikely Partnership

**Chapter Sixteen: Unlikely Partnership**

Early that afternoon, Dark Ace, after sleeping in bug time, paced around the Jungle, going from Talon to Talon. "Have you seen Keira Marie?"

"No."

"Have you seen Keira Marie?"

"No, sir."

"Have any of you seen Keira Marie?"

"No, sir. Sorry, sir."

"Lily, Have you seen Keira Marie?"

"Not since last night, Dark Ace."

"Keira Marie, where are you?"  
That's when it hit Dark Ace. It hit him like a ton of bricks. To make matter worse, that was the second Stork rounded the corner into his site, all alone. Something inside Dark Ace snapped and he launched himself at Stork and pinned him against the Research Center deck and in a rage he punched him over and over in the face, yelling at him curses that shouldn't and can't be repeated.

"What did I do?!" Stork yelled in his own defence. "What did I do?!"

"Keira Marie is gone!" Dark Ace screamed, smacking Stork again and again.

"Why is that-AH-my concern?! Ouch!"

"Your banshee took her and you know it!"

"Owe!! Somebody help me!"

Soon, Storks cries for help were answered when Aerrow, Piper and eventually everybody else showed up. Aerrow see,ed to react alot sooner then the others did. He tried to drag Dark Ace away from Stork, but it was no good. "DARK ACE! STOP IT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!"

Finally, some Talons started to try and restrain Dark Ace. By the time Dark Ace was a meter away from Stork, he was sut, bleeding and more shaky then ever before. Dark Ace. It took twelve Talons to hold him back, six on each arm, they pinned him to the dirt ground and held him. After a while, a long while, Dark Ace stopped struggling and his breathing became less and less erratic. Soon Dark Ace was laying flat on his back with his eyes closed, breathing deeply. It was as if he was in some kind of therapy. "You can let me go now." He told the twelve Talons. "I'm done...I'm calm...Tell the Storm Hawk helmsman I'm sorry..."

"Apology accepted." Stork said slowly. "I actually understand..."

The twelve Talons two by two piled off of Dark Ace's arms. Soon he was back on his feet and Vixxy was brushing the dust off his back, he handled the rest.

"Keira Marie is gone?" Vixxy asked.

"Obviously." Finn said.

"Let's go track her." Vixxy said with a smile.

"How?" Finn asked.

Vixxy stretched out her left arm to her side and in a burst of mist and feathers, Mephist was suddenly pirched on her forearm. "Mephist. Find Keira Marie!" Vixxy commanded as she let the Raven fly off. "He'll be back when and if he finds her. It's most likely he will."

Aerrow looked up at Mephist as he disappeared into the grey sky. He was an oversized raven with ruffled feathers and even missing afew. Other then that, he was pretty cool.

"Vixxy? Mephist is your pet?" He asked.

"Kind of." Vixxy answered. "He's more of my Spirit Guide. Every GunWitch is given one on her day by Hecate herself. Your Spirit Guide is supposed to be an aniaml that describes your personality."

"Since I'm your Oracle." Finn said. "Shouldn't I have gotten one?"

"It'll come when You need it." Vixxy said.

"Oh, I see. "Finn sighed.

After one hour, Mephist came back. He landed on Vixxy's arm and started to caw. Vixxy responded to him as if he was speaking perfect English.

_CAW CAW CAWCAW._

"Okay..."

_CAWCAW CAWCAW CAWCAW._

"Alright. Then what happened, Mephist?"

_CAW CAW CAW CAWCAWCAW CAWCAW._

"No! Really? It can't be..."

_Caw._

"What's Mephist saying, Vixxy?" Ravess asked from behind her. "Is Keira Marie okay?"

"She is for now, Mom." Vixxy asnwered. "Mephist said he found Keira Marie at Banshee's Pass in the Cavern of the Damned."

_CAW CAW CAW CAW COO._

"Keira Marie has until _Black Sunshine._"

"When's that?" Aerrow asked.

_CAW CAW. _

"What did Mephist say?" Piper asked.

_CAW CAW._

"He said _Black Sunshine_ takes place in..." Vixxy gulped. "Nine and a half hours..."

For the rest of the day, everyone was planning to raid Banshee's pass, but no dice. Banshee's Pass was miles away, North of North Slashtown and the Jungle was located in the West Morelloberg Woods. Aerrow spent a while watching Dark Ace. He sat around in the Center of the Jungle for the entire day. Aerrow could tell he was planning something.

That night at three o'clock am, Dark Ace was up and fully dressed. Aerrow, who didn't move at all from his spot, was asleep on the bench until he heard a door close. He jerked awake to see Dark Ace sneaking off the deck of his (and Keira Maries) cabin. Aerrow followed him silently, until he saw him sneaking towards his skimmer. Then Aerrow finally spoke up.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Where do you think I'm going?" Dark Ace wispered as he kept going towards his skimmer.

Aerrow caught up. "You can't go to Banshee's Pass by yourself!"

"Why can't I?"

"Cause I'm going with you."

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"No. She's my girlfriend. I'll save her."

"She may be your girlfriend." Aerrow said. "But she's my sister..."

Dark Ace sighed..."Get your skimmer. We have to push them out of here..."

"What about the Talons in the towers?" Aerrow asked.

"Leave them to me." Dark Ace wispered. Dark Ace reached into the compartment of his skimmer and pulled out a grey bottle and a cloth. He snuck up the tower by the gate unseen and Aerrow watched as he dabbed whatever was in the bottle onto the cloth and press the cloth over the Talon's mouth and nose. It wasn't long before Dark Ace layed her down on the floor and did the same to the one on the other side of the gate.

Dark Ace and Aerrow pushed thier skimmers out of the opened gates and closed them again. With that they started thier skimmers and mounted them. "We're going threw the now-abandoned underground train tunnels to get to the pass." Dark Ace said to Aerrow. "Expect to meet some Deadlings...REAL ones."

With that, they were off.


	17. Banshee's Pass

**Chapter Seventeen: Banshee's Pass**

The skimmer engines cut out and the night was silent. Dark Ace and Aerrow abandoned their skimmers and left them in the West Morelloberg square. West Morelloberg, like all the other Midorian towns, was now deserted and in ruins from the attacks. Aerrow even saw a few decaying bodies on the street.

Dark Ace lead Aerrow down into the train depo. It was dark and empty, like a big metal cave. Dark Ace jumped down on to the tracks and Aerrow followed.

"Small talk?" Aerrow asked. His voice echoed into the dark tunnel.

Dark Ace glarred at him as if to say: 'Shut up!'. Instead, Dark Ace said: "If we wisper, then sure. Why not?"

"Okay." Aerrow wispered. "Why wisper?"

"Deadlings." Dark Ace reminded. "I may want you to get eaten alive, but do you?"

"No..." Aerrow sighed.

"What do you want to talk about with me?" Dark Ace asked, unimpressed.

"Keira Marie."

"Oh no..."

"Why doesn't she want to be called Ava anymore? It's her REAL name."

"Maybe because she wanted to start over when Geoffry died." Dark Ace quietly snapped. "It's best not to mention Geoffry. He may have been a Sky Knight, but he was a pig of a Sky Knight! Not even a Talon would have the nerve to beat on his wife."

"Ravess said that Geoffry beat Ava up on a daily basis."

"That's true." Dark Ace said. "Ravess, Snipe and I suspected something was wrong the moment she married that whatever-he-was."

"What do you mean?" Aerrow asked.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Dark Ace Snapped. "Everyday, she'd come and visit Snipe, Ravess and I and everytime she'd have a bruise, a cut, a gash, a black eye, whatever. One time, she had a broken arm and she told us she fell down the stairs...Then it turned out that Geoffry pushed her."

"I never thought of Geoffry that way..."

"You never know a guy until you really meet him. The real him I mean..." Dark Ace paused. "This is quite disturbing..."

"What is?"

"That we're having a meaningful conversation and not killing eachother..."

"That IS disturbing..."  
Then the two found the train, what was left of it atleast. It was de-railed and flipped over on its back. "What happened?" Aerrow asked as he caught up to Dark Ace.

"Deadlings." Was the answer.

"Deadlings did this?!" Aerrow couldn't help but yell. Dark Ace seized him and slapped his hand over Aerrow's mouth. A loud sweak was heard and it sounded as if something was rustling around in the train wreakage. Aerrow shifted his eyes around, and looked up at Dark Ace, who was doing the same thing, a very worried face on.

Dark Ace released Aerrow and drew his blade. Red light illuminated the darkness. Aerrow copied Dark Ace and blue light flushed with the red. "Get ready..." Dark Ace said to Aerrow. "And don't freeze this time...These things can rip you apart, rememeber?"

"Yeah..." Aerrow said.

The Deadling jumped out a train window like a hungry animal, cause mainly that's what she was. She had long ruffled black hair streaming infront of her eyes, that were however VERY visible and bloodshot, though green they looked redder then Dark Ace's and they were twice as lifeless. Her clothes, a plaide skirt and a dress shirt, were ripped to shreds and dyed red with blood. She wore no shoes. She saw Dark Ace and Aerrow and screech as she attacked Aerrow. Aerrow froze again, he would have been no more if Dark Ace hadn't jumped in the way and impaled the demon-possessed school girl. She died almost imedianatly. Dark Ace turned to Aerrow in rage.

"Either get yourself together when it come to these things or go back to the Jungle!" He snapped.

Afew more miles down the tunnel, Aerrow alked ahead of Dark Ace with his head down. He stayed focused on his feet until he heard Dark Ace's voice. "We're almost there..."  
Aerrow, to be polite, looked back at Dark Ace and his heart went cold as he saw two more school girl Deadlings right behind Dark Ace and ready to strike! Aerrow reacted right away, this time he did the impaling. "Nice work." Dark Ace said.

"Deadlings are very quiet, huh?" Aerrow asked.

Dark Ace looked at the sign at the next depo they reached. _North Slashtown: The Proud Mridorian Capital. _

"Okay, we're here." He said as he climbed up the high ledge and onto the platform. Seeing that Aerrow was having trouble clmibing, Dark Ace asked himself what the consequences of his next actions were going to be and offered him a hand. Aerrow hesitated and took it. Dark Ace hoisted Aerrow up and they stood there on the platform edge for about a minute, looking at eachother. "You're welcome." Dark Ace finally said. "I won't tell if you don't..."

With that, Dark Ace and Aerrow went up into the cold outside. There was no sun, but the glare from the grey clouds made it seem like there was. Dark Ace and Aerrow began the long walk (since thier skimmers were back in West Morelloberg) to Banshee's Pass. They got three miles out of the town and kept heading North. The air got colder and colder. Aerrow could now see his breath. "How you doing back there, Aerrow?" Dark Ace asked afew paces ahead.

"I'll live." Aerrow responded.

The two followed the North Slashriver, a long river that ran from Banshee's Pass. Dark Ace exclaimed that if they walked a few miles against the river flow, they would reach Banshee's Pass, with two more hours until_ Black Sunshine_ since it was now ten o'clock in the morning and the dark event took place at high noon that day.

When Dark Ace and Aerrow reached the end/beginning of the river, there was a waterfall there and no sign of a pass. Aerrow huffed in disbeilef, anger and breathlessness. "This isn't Banshee's Pass or a pass of any kind. It should be called Banshee's Falls!" Dakr Ace stayed silent at his side, scanning the cascade water pouring from the silver rocks. "Dark Ace?"

"It's a riddle..." The Talon muttered.

"What?"

"Do you have a low tolerance for cold?"

Aerrow shrugged and Dark Ace jumped into the water. When he didn't surface after afew minutes, Aerrow got concerned (and he didn't know why he was concerned about Dark Ace). Aerrow dived into the water and it was so cold it stung Aerrow's skin. He opened his eyes and beyond all the water being stirred where the bottom of the falls was, there was an opening. Aerrow swam in and surfaced. There he saw Dark Ace, just as soaked and cold as he was.  
After starring at eachother and listening to the others teeth chatter, Dark Ace and Aerrow looked around. They found a cavern, the rock walls were streaked with what looked like gold, silver and maybe some bronze. Banshee's Pass was cleverly hidden.


	18. Grim Defeat

**Chapter Eighteen: Grim Defeat**

Dark Ace was walking a bit faster then Aerrow, so he was a couple of meters ahead of him, but he could still hear the Sky Knight's teeth chattering from the echoes coming off the simmering walls. Finall, he had to ask. "Are you gonna LIVE, Aerrow?"

"I-I-I-I-I guess." Aerrow shivered. "I'm just c-c-c-cold, that's all."

"I'm cold too, Aerrow." Dark Ace said. "Just give your body some time to warm up again...Think of it as a skimmer that hasn't run all month in Blizzaris. Give it some time to warm up and your ready to go." The Talon smacked himself in the forehead. "What am I doing?! Having small talk with the boy I've been waging war against for years, that's what I'm doing!"

"Maybe dating my sister has changed your feelings about me." Aerrow said. "Maybe now you see me as a little brother."

Dark Ace turned around and he and Aerrow starred at eachother again. Dark Ace smiled and he and Aerrow laughed. The two of them were laughing so hard that Dark Ace had to put on hand on his knee to keep his balance and Aerrow fell over, rolling on his back. "Well, you don't have to worry about that!" Dark Ace said between his breathes.  
Dark Ace and Aerrow then caught thier breathes and wipeed the tears from thier eyes. "C'mon, stupid." Dark Ace sighed, still breathless from all the laughing. "Let's go. We have..." Dark Ace stole a watch from one of the Talons he 'put to sleep'. He took it out and looked at it. "AN HOUR AND A THIRTY MINUTES?!"

"What?!" Aerrow screamed in just as much shock. "Okay. Were we laughing for an hour, or walking?"

Dark Ace failed to see the humor in his statement. "You're joking, right? We were walking for an hour and laughing for about...I dunno...Two minutes."

"I thought it was longer because I've NEVER actually heard you laugh." Aerrow said. "That was the first time when your laugh wasn't mirthless and evil sounding."

"I won't tell if you don't." Dark Ace echoed his words from the train depo.

The two picked up thier pace until they found the place Mephist was squawking about. The Cavern of the Damned. It was a house sized temple with statues of famous Banshee's along the walls. At the end of the temple was an alter, laying on the alter was a person. Dark Ace and Aerrow approached the alter to discover that the person on the alter was Keira Marie, laying deathly still. "Is she okay?" Aerrow asked.

"She's breathing atleast." Was Dark Ace's answer. Dark Ace placed a hand on Keira Marie's face and he could feel how cold it was through his golve, it was like marble. She was alive but stunned somehow. "Mary, mother of God." Dark Ace wispered.

_Not even close!_

A voice echoed all through out the temple and the red water behind the alter began to glow and goldish color. Aerrow jumped over Keira Marie's body to stand beside Dark Ace, who was just as scared as he was. Dark Ace didn't say anything, but Aerrow could tell. A very reconizable face appeared out from under the red water. Aerrow winced. "Gail!"

"You!" She growled back.

"Gail, listen to me!" Aerrow said. "Stork is sorry! He mean to push you donw the stairs that night. He regrets it every day!"

"He hasn't regreted it yet!" Gail snarled as the ret of her body rose out of the pool and she was standing on the water. Aerrow then realized that the 'water' was too visible on her skin, hair and clothes to be water. It was blood, and ALOT of it. "I haven't gotten a chance to MAKE him him regret that night!"

"You're over-reacting, Gail!"

"SHUT UP!" The Banshee screamed, Dark Ace and Aerrow's ears rung. "Why did you come here?"

"We came for my girlfriend." Dark Ace snarled back at her. "Listen to me, you are going to submerge back into that blood bath, or whatever it is you were swimming in, and you are going to let us walk out of here with her."

Gail smiled a smile that was ten times more mirthless then Dark Ace's ever could be. "I don't think so..." She disappeared into thin air. Dark Ace then heard a wisper in his ear. "Do you know why they say 'never let a Banshee get behind you'?" Gail's breath was like a cold mist going down Dark Aces neck and the next thing the Talon knew, he was laying on the ground at Aerrow and Gails feet, able to see and breath, but unable to move or speak.

Aerrow drew his blades, but it was too late, Gail had gotten him too. Gail then called two Cy-Merbs, a youn male and female. "Take these two to the caves." She ordered. "Then in half an hour, bring them to the top of Banshee's Falls. I want them to witness the wonderous powers _of Black Sunshine_."

The two Cy-Merbs took Dark Ace and Aerrow over thier shoulders and unable to move, both of them just watched Gail wave goodbye to them and pat Keira Marie on the shoulder. Aerrow looked over to Dark Ace and saw the tears in his eyes.

_So close_... They both thought.


	19. Black Sunshine Evacuation

**Chapter Nineteen: Black Sunshine Evacuation **

Mephist flew into Vixxy's chest in a panic. He squawked and squawked at her and with every squawk made Vixxy's face more pale. She looked at the group of Storm Hawks and Talons infront of her. "Um, do you want the bad news or the really bad news first?"

"You pick." Finn said nervously.

"Okay," Vixxy sighed as Mephist disappeared in another burst of feathers and dust. "The bad news is, we need to get these civilians off this terra and NOW! Three Bruteknopses are on their way to the Jungle."

"What about the REALLY bad news?" Piper asked.

"Have you seen Dark Ace or The Storm Hawk Sky Knight?" Lily asked. "We're getting ready to evacuate!"

"That's the issue of the REALLY bad news." Vixxy said.

"What?" Piper asked. "Is Aerrow okay?"

"Is Dark Ace okay?" Ravess added.

"Well, Mephist said that they went to Banshee's Pass to rescue Keira Marie, who was as a matter of fact, taken by Storks Banshee during the night." Vixxy said. "He said they came close, and then got themselves captured. With only twenty minutes left to go until_ Black Sunshine_." Vixxy pointed at the sun (or what was there behind the grey clouds atleast), it was starting to form it's own shadow of some kind.

"TWENTY MINUTES?!" Piper repeated in a panic. "Will Gail use them in the rictual?"

"No," Vixxy said. "She'll probably just make them witness it and then turn them into Zombie Kinghts for her army. Nothing that bad."

"Listen yall!" Alexis shouted as she jumped onto the deck of the Research Center. "We gots just a couple minutes to get all these Midorians into our carriers and off this terra and thus to safety. Let's just, for once, forget what we were trained for and be the hero's instead of the villians. We all need to also gather up as many suplies as we's can. Civilians! Take ONLY what yall need and leave the rest behind! Daddy! Ya lead the Midorians to the carriers. Amos! Donavan! Tessie! Ninny! Lily! yall too.  
"Storm Hawks! Star finsihed your Condor this morning she said. Take that and get your behinds to Banshee's Pass. Ravess, Snipe! yall go too! And get along, we have a truse goin' on here."

When Alexis finished her speech, everyone scrambled about, doing their jobs. Alexis joined in on gathering Midorians. Soon the Jungle was empty and the Talon leaders and Storm Hawks, followed by Hecate's Hunters borded the newly fixed Condor. Piper soon noticed, when the Condor wasn't running, they were one Storm Hawks short. She looked at Star and Night. "Where's Stork?" They shrugged,

"I'm coming!" They heard him call when Stork came running up with a young Cascade Merbian in his arms. He borded the Condor and put her down on the bridge.

"Moonshade!" Night called out her name.

"Stork! You found our little sister!" Star added.

"Umm, Starshade...Nightshade...Moonshade...You can all thank Stork later." Vixxy said, as she watched the Talons take off with the Midorian civilians. Her focus then turned to the gates of the Jungle. Her face went pale as Mephist cawed and squawked in agony and panic. Then, the foot steps of something BIG was heard approaching the gates of the Jungle. "We got company." Vixxy added.

"Not now..." Ravess groaned. "Please, please not now..." She turned to Stork who was at the helm of the Condor now. "GET US OUT OF HERE!"

"Why?" Stork asked. "What's the big rush?"

"NOW!" Vixxy yelled as something big crashed through the gates, that were reinforced by the way... The dust cleared and the biggest, ugliest thing Piper had ever seen was standing right infront of the Condor. "STORK!" Vixxy screamed at the top of her lungs. "GET US OUTTA HERE!"

"WHAT IS IT?!" Piper screamed back at her. "WHAT IS IT! PLEASE DON'T TELL ME IT IS WHAT I THINK IT IS!"

"Yeah..."Vixxy said. "It's a Bruteknops." As the Condor shot up into the air and they left the roaring monster behind.

Piper looked back at the Bruteknops. It was big, a greyish color, looked as if it had no eyes or face in perticular. It, from above, looked like a giant turtle that was laying waste to the once big and seemly unstoppable Midorian fortess. She then, once the Bruteknops was out of site, but could still be heard, looked back at Vixxy. Her face seemed to have gotten its some-what pale creamy color back. Her, her mother and uncle and all the others sighed in both relief and agony. "So what now?" Piper asked to break the silence.

"Vixxy?" Ravess asked. "What's your plan? You ARE the GunWitch."

Vixxy hesitated for a while as Stork looked streight ahead, but was focusing on the conversation. "We go to Banshee's Pass." She answered. "Mom, how much time do we have until _Black Sunshine_?"

"We're out of time!" Ravess said in panic. "There's ten seconds!"

"Oh man..." Stork said. "We're doomed..."

"We're double doomed." Star said.

"Triple doomed." Night added.

"Super doomed." Moon spoke out in her timid ten year olds voice.

There was now snow on the ground below, and a roar bigger then the Bruteknopses was heard. This time, Piper's face lost all its color. Ravess and Snipe looked as if their next motive was to jump out the windows and end it right there. On the road below were remaining Midorians running for their lives at the pitch blackness coming, Stork had to activate the Condors lights to see infront of it. Back on the road, the Midorians were being eaten by large, brown worm-like things that blasted out from under the road. Piper went over to Vixxy. "Flatheads?"  
The GunWitch nodded in approval. The Condor was now going over the large mountain that was known as Banshee's Pass, Stork started to look around, as if he was expecting to see Gail in the front window. Instead, he saw something more odd, but yet expected. It was another Flatehad, brown and long, but this one took up the entire center of the North Slash Bridge, with it's tenticles, that waved and swayed across the bottom and underneith of the bridge. "HOLY ATMOS!" Stork blurted out. "DO YOU GUYS SEE THAT!"

Finn ran to the front window, followed by everyone else, who crowded the area. "That is one HUGE worm!" The blonde said,.

"It's the Flathead King." Ravess wispered. "Gail actually did it...Keira Marie...Dark Ace."

"Aerrow." Piper added, seemingly reminding Ravess of the third hostage of Gail.  
The Talon stayed silent in her panicy ttance on the huge demon. Then, everyones attention seemed to shift around from the Flathead King to Dark Ace and Aerrow below, running around trying to find a way through or over the busted rocks blocking the near side of the North Slash Bridge and off it. In Dark Ace's arms was Keira Marie, either dead or just unconcious, they were too far away to tell. Everyones attention shifted from them to Gail, who was on top of the rocks and looking more dead then ever, but yet laughing herself to death at the two helpless little 'boys' on the bridge and at her 'pets' mercy. Then the attention was on the Flathead King again.

"Mom!" Vixxy called running to Ravess. "How can I kill it?"

"What?" Ravess and Snipe responded together.

"The Flathead King." Vixyy said. "How do I kill the Flathead King?"

"You can't!" Ravess said.

"That's what the book says." Vixxy said. "I have Finn now. Doesn't that make me stronger then I once was? I can use the fire?"

"No! You can't Vixxy!" Ravess said. "Its way to dangerous!"

"I can kill him, Mom!" Vixxy said. "I just know I can!" Vixxy made a mad dash for Stork. "Can I get on top of the Condor?"

"Yeah, I guess." Stork said. "There's a ladder just-"  
Vixxy loaded the GunRod in bomblet launcher mode and blew a hole in the roof of the Condor and jumped through it, and thus on the roof. She then she looked down in the hole at Finn. Her hair was blowing in her face from the wind and the speed of the ship.

"Finn! Come on!"

"What?" Finn asked her.

"I need you!" Vixxy called.

Finn nervously. Climbed the ladder and met Vixxy on the windy roof. Vixxy was focused on the dark sky as lighting began to form above the Flathead King. Vixxy repated her eerie words from before. "Taste fear as your soul burns away...BEGONE!"

The large lightning bolt that struck the Flathead King was clearly stronger then the last one Vixxy conjured up, but even from the painful blast of electricity, the Flathead King was still standing and Dark Ace, Keira Marie and Aerrow still helpless and trapped, Keira Marie was even starting to wake up to the horror.


	20. Offically A War

**Chapter Twenty: Officially A War**

The Flathead King, now angry from the pulse of infinite volts, smacked at the Condor and sent it spinning at light speed. Finn and Vixxy dived onto thier stomachs to evade falling off the Condor. Stork worked so hard to regain control of the twisting ship, he was starting to sweat. Once the ship was steight again, everyone got back on their feet. Ravess shouted up into the hole Vixxy made in the roof. "VIXENTINA! VIXENTINA! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Vixxy shook her head and pushed Finn off from on top of her. "Yeah, I'm okay, Mom." She looked at her Oracle.

"Man, how do we kill this thing?" Finn asked. "Look, we're shooting at it, there are Talons down there shooting at it. You hit with a lighting bolt. Why won't this thing die?!"

"I'm trying to figue that out..."Vixxy huffed. Then, it hit Vixxy. She was stronger now, she had new options. She looked at Finn. "Finn? I WILL pass out after I do this spell. When I do, carry me into the Condor."

"Okay, got it." Finn said.

Vixxy started another rictual with the GunRod. She grabbed it and spun it three times ahead of her and then held it behind her, with her free hand pointing toward the fuming Flathead King, that roared at her and lashed out its tounge, that must have been a mile long. Vixxy focused hard on it and spoke demonicly as her eyes began to glow purple. "_I'll dement your resurrection threw the fires of hell!_" It wasn't long before the whites of Vixxy's eyes and her pupils disappeared and were replaced by neon pruple. The Flathead King began to wimper and roar in pain as he caught on fire. Purple flames burned the Flathead King until he disintergrated into a pile of topaz ash. Dark Ace (carrying Keira Marie still, who was stirring) and Aerrow were still trapped by the large vehicle in the bridge. With her last ounce of energy, Vixxy pushed back the vehicle and cleared them a path, right before she fell backwards into the arms of her Oracle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vixxy opened her eyes to a metallica roof. She didn't even bother to look at her surroundings in the room she was in. She just got up off the bed and walked out into the bridge of the Condor. To her suprise, her mother threw her arms around Vixxys shoulders and neck, almost crushing her.

"Vixentina Ravenanna Dark!" Ravess said in tears. "You used the fire element! That was a very reckless thing to do!"

"I know." Vixxy groaned.

"You could have killed yourself!"

"I know..."

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry, Mom..."

"That was a very reckless thing to do." Ravess repated. "But I'm so glad you did it."

"I killed the Flatehead King?" Vixxy asked.

"Yes." Ravess answered. "Come on, your father and all the others are outside."

Vixxy followed Ravess out of the Condor and sure enough Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork, Star, Night, Moon, Snipe, Margalo, Tom and Radarr were all waiting outside the Condor, but Dark Ace and Keira Marie were no where to be seen. "Mom." Vixxy asked. "Where's Dad and Keira Marie?"

"Beat me." Ravess responded as she walked off.

"Keira Marie and Dark Ace went for a walk." Piper asnwered as she searched Aerrow for cuts and other injuries. "I'll bet they're making out somewhere."

"That's exactly what they're doing." A new Talon said as she came from the snowy trees. She was in a Talons uniform and she was tall and thin, but a little on the lanky side. She had short, wispy red hair and apple green eyes. Her skin was dark pale. like paste almost. She wasn't as attractive as Keira Marie or Margalo, but she wasn't ugly either.

"Ruth." Ravess said. "There you are. How's the evacuation go?"

"The Midorians are safe on Terra Nimbus." Ruth replyed. "Lily and all the others stayed behind and I came back. Gald to see everyone right as rain."

"What about Gail?" Stork asked.

"You tell me." Finn said. "She must have retreated when Vixxy roasted the Flathead King."

"She must have." Vixxy said. "But that doesn't mean she's done...This whole thing is just starting..."

"Yes," Dark Ace said as he and Keira Marie appeared. "This is now offically a war."

"What happened?" Piper asked. "What was that _Black Sunshine _ricutal like?"

"I guess I could tell the story..." Dark Ace said. "It started when Aerrow and I woke up after Gail won. BUT it was only round one..."


	21. Gail's Deadly Addiction

Chapter 21: Gails Deadly Addiction

After Dark Ace and Aerrow told the story of how Gail drained half of Keira Marie's energy to summon the Flathead King, before they rescued her and barely escaped the Banshee's wrath, just to be cornered by the King himself, then Vixxy came and saved the day.

"I'm proud of you, Vixentina." Ravess said, patting Vixxy on the shoulder.

"So what now?" Stork asked. "We wait here for Gail to find me?"

Vixxy smiled wildly, again exposing the retainer wire on her top jaw. "How about we go to her?" She said, she called Mephist and before anyone could act, Vixxy had sent the raven omen off to find Gail's stronghold, because spirit sources said that it was not in the Cavern of the Damned.  
About an hour and a half later, Mephist came back and squawked his message at Vixxy, who nodded.

"You know that old factory down in the North Tundra?" Vixxy asked everyone. The Storm Hawks stayed silent, but the Talons, who had been on the Terra longer, responded. "That's where we can find Gail, and apparently, another banshee Merb."

"Is Mephist sure?" Ravess asked.

The bird eyed her with his blood red eyes. CAW!

"Yes." Vixxy said. "He's positive."

"Alright then..." Dark Ace sighed. "Let's get going."

Most of the Talons backed away quickly. "Uh, sir." Ruth said. "Haven't you been keeping track of HOW many talons went missing just being scouts near the tundra?"

"Yes, Ruth." Dark Ace replyed. "Exactly two hundred and seventeen. One of them was my little cousin, Tallia." Dark Ace meant what he said, and soon The Storm Hawks, Talons and Hunters, joined by Ruth and Moonshade, were on their way threw the chilling tundra. The snow was thick, so thick that everyone had to latch on to eachother just to stay with the group. There was a huge human-non human chain going threw the windy nightmare.

Once the mountains got closer, the weather settled down. Soon, a very small but very tall wooden building was visible, it was a black tower in the white haze. "Look at this place." Finn said.

"It's been abandoned since the passing of Clint and Clayla over six hundred years ago." Vixxy replyed. "So if you were hoping for warmth once we got to the factory, prepare to be sadly disapointed..." Vixxy seemed amused.

True. Everyone was out of the snow, but it was just as cold inside the old building. Inside the factory seemed so small with all the people, plus one wallop, Radarr and four Merbs taking up so much space. Vixxy moved down the hall and her family and the others followed her. The floor was painted red with blood, some fresh and some not so. "How can this place get anymore creepy?" Piper wispered as she bumped into a closet door in the hallway. The closet door opened and four Talons tumbled out of it and piled up infront of Piper, all dead and bloody. Piper used up all her wit to keep from screaming.

Vixxy sniffed and curled to upper lip. Her attention came to a bloody door handle on the closed door at her right. Vixxy, keeping the GunRod infront of her and with Finn and Dark Ace, among the others right behind her, gathered her courage. The door clicked and Vixxy opned it a sliver, soon everyone could smell the stench that burned Vixxy's nostrils. There was something rotting in that room. Vixxy peered in threw the crack. "Oh my God and Goddess..."

"What's wrong Vixxy?" Ravess asked. "What's in there?"

Vixxy threw the door opened and everyone in the hall gagged and Snipe turned away to throw up in the hallway. In the small room, all over were the decaying corpses of atleast half of the two hundred and seventeen Talons Dark Ace was talking about, and in the piles in all six corners there were also some Sky Kinghts and Merbians. Obviously the poor souls who didn't survive become Zombie Knights, Deadlings or Cy-Merbs. "Stork!" Aerrow gasped. "Your ex girlfriend is a necrophiliac!"

Dark Ace got a flash of horror in his eyes as he dug out a young Talon girl from the bottom of one of the piles. He flipped her face towards him and looked beyond all the blood and gore. He looked into her blue eyes, they looked white they were so pale and dead. Dark Ace sighed. "It's not her."

"What?" Keira Marie wispered.

"It's not Tallia." Dark Ace replyed.

"Let's get out of here and find Gail." Piper weezed. "The smell of all these dead bodies is making me nautious."

Ravess looked over to the pile in the far left. "Oh no..." She wispered. "Dark Ace."

Dark Ace looked at the small body on top of all the others. Tears formed in his eyes. "No...Please no." He ran his hand through the ebony hair of the very young girl and opened one of her crimson eyes. "Tallia." He wept. "You had your whole life ahead of you..." He let the tears fall. "She was only thirteen..."

A voice ran out. "Forgive the mess." Everyone turned to watch the door creek shut and Gail stood there. "If you could have given two hours notice that you were coming and I would have cleaned up and hung little Dark Tallia in the doorway."

"YOU SICK WITCH!" Dark Ace screamed as he launched himself towards the banshee. Gail grabbed him by the throat and tossed him to the wall beside, knocking him out cold. She did the same to everyone else in the room, one by one.

***************************************

Aerrow was the last to wake up and he saw a dead looking Merb behind the black iron bars of the moist cage he and all the others had the misfortune to be locked in. This Banshee Merb wasn't Gail though. She had the same skin tone as Gail, but she was a tad shorter then Gail and her hair was short and wispy, almost like Kiera Marie's, but it went to her neck and not her shoulders.

"I see you all met Disturbia." Gail said from behind the younger banshee. "She was only 14 when her cousin and her boyfriend-" She shot Stork a hateful look. "-murdered her together."

"Gail..." Stork said coming up to the bars. "I didn't mean to kill you. I'm sorry."

"If your sorry, then why'd you put me in Banshees Pass?!" She screamed as she flew up to the cage in a green, ghostly haze and seized Stork by the throat. "It is torchure..." Gail growled. "Having to live like this...I am nothing but my lost soul trapped inside my own dead and still decaying body."  
Aerrow and Piper took note of the holes in Gail's arm. Her bones were visible in them. Disturbia was at the table in the far corner, poking and picking at the crystals from Aerrow's and Dark Ace's energy blades. "Disturbia." Gail called as her young assistant came to her side. "Let's get to work." Gail went past a small door and down a set of stairs. Screaming was heard and Gail came back with a blonde, attractive Talon woman in her arms. "Last one." She said gesturing towards her.

"Please..." The Talon pleaded as she tried to break of Gail and Disturbia's grip. "I don't wanna die."

"CASEY!" Dark Ace yelled in shock.

"Send you Talons in larger groups then just five, Dark Ace." Gail said as her and Disturbia chianed the Talon on a bloody table. Then it was then duly noted that the chains weren't chains at all, it was wires of barbed wire. When Casey stuggled, it cut into her arms and legs.

"What are you doing?" Aerrow asked.

"Showing you how I make mortals into Zombie Knights and Deadlings." Gail said. "I think I'll make Casey...A Deadling."

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" The Talon screamed in horror.

"You see Casey." Gail said calmy. "I am killing you, but then, I bring you back."

Casey started to cry when she saw the kitchen knife sized blade in Gail and Disturbia's hands.

"First off." Disturbia said to the caged ones. "She has to die. So Gail and I will make her bleed to death."

"Can't you just shoot me like a normal terrorist?" Caset wimpered.

"No." Gail said as she stepped in the way so nobody in the cage could see Caseys body, only her head and lower waist her visible past Gail. Disturbia could barely be seen behind Gail.

It was clear what was going on when Casey started to scream and the barbed wire made her green talon uniforms red with blood from her legs. Most looked away and Piper plugged her ears, wanting to wake up from this nightmare and be back on the Condor by Terra Atmosia. Even though Piper plugged her ears to the point of it hurting, she could still hear the poor helpless Talon screaming and the three Talon commanders cursing at Gail and Disturbia at the same time pleading her stop.

Once Casey died, Gail used a blue orb like crystal to extract her soul from her body and replace it with a black spirit, a Deadling Sprite and Casey went through the most brutal transformatom anyone had ever seen, even Vixxy looked away. Casey's skin ripped to the point of more bleeding and, just as Star and Night said, her ribs shot out of her rib cage to form weaponry.

Dark Ace repeated his words. "You sick witch."

"I'll show you a sick witch." Gail growled as she pushed everyone one by one down into the dark dungeon Casey came from. Dark Ace looked up to see Gail had kept Keira Marie, Piper and Vixxy as she slammed the door shut, leaving the rest in pitch darkness.


	22. A Heart of Gold and A Heart of Coal

Chapter Twenty Two: A Heart of Gold and A Heart of Coal

Dark Ace, Aerrow, Finn and pretty much all the strong others pounded at the rotting door. "I don't understand it!" Dark Ace grunted. "It's one hundred percent rotting and soggy wood, WHY WON'T THE DAMN THING BREAK?!"

Finn began to crindge. Aerrow responded right away. "Finn, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Finn said, clutching his under-belly. "It feels like something invisible is cutting me..."

Ravess jumped. "Gail! She's cutting Vixxy and your feeling her pain as your own!"  
Her statement was confirmed when the gut-renching sound of the GunWitch screaming in agony and pleaing for mercy flooded the root cellar. Soon, everyone was slamming into the door. But still it wouldn't even crack. Mostly because Gail and Disturbia placed a large desk infront of the rotting door. Keira Marie held Piper's hand in attempted comfort as Gail and Disturbia lashed on Vixxy's arms and shoulders. The GunWitch cried and growled until Gail had enough with her and tossed her to the floor. Her attention then moved to Piper.

Piper beagn to tear up and back into the wall as Gail closed in on her. Keira Marie crawled infront of Piper. "Don't." The Talon said. "Leave her alone. You being a...necrophiliac and all...You'll want fresh skin."

"Her's looks just fine." Gail said grabbing Piper by the arm. Piper let out a short cream that made Aerrow, on the other side of the door, panic.

"Yes, the Storm Hawk does have very nice and rich looking skin for her age..." Keira Marie said.

"What are you doing?" Piper wispered.

"Saving your sanity." Keira Marie wispered back. She turned back to Gail. "However, Piper's skin is no comparison to mine. MY skin has always been rich and mocoa colored." Gail placed her hand on the Talons cheek and moved down to the side of her neck. Keira Marie winced, Gails hand was twice as cold as Dark Ace's and one hundred times more clammy. "I-I-I was born with rich, dark skin."

"You're right." Gail said, still caressing Keira Marie. "Your skin is rich...very nice...Dark Ace is a lucky man, getting to touch this whenever he wants."

The door pounded. "Rip my skin right off my body, just leave Piper out of this..." Keira Marie said, egnoring it. "She didn't ask for any of this...She and the Storm Hawks shouldn't even be here."

"Okay," Gail said, seizing Keira Marie by the forearm. "Disturbia, get the scalping knives and the forceps."

"Hey!" Keira Marie hollered as she was being tied down. "Scalping knives and forceps?!"

"You requested we rip your skin off, so I will do your request." Gail said darkly.

"Have mercy..." Keira Marie pleaded.

"Sorry," Disturbia said. "All out of mercy."

Keira Marie then wished she never gave Gail the idea. Once Disturbia came out with the dull yellow kinves and ginormous pliars, Piper began to shift towards a hiding place. Gail turned to her with a kinfe. "DON'T MOVE, OR YOU'LL WIND UP LIKE THE GUNWITCH!"

Piper looked towards Vixxy, she was curled up on the floor, wallowing in her own blood and wimpering. She then looked at Keira Marie, who went pale as Gail and Disturbia closed in on her.

Once Gail and Disturbia started to cut, Keira Marie only groaned and cursed for awhile, then once she chose to stop holding the screams back, the root cellar door cracked in half and a Talon Commander with his blade pointing towards the two Banshees was the first threw it. Keira Marie panted heavily. "Dark Ace..." She weezed.

Aerrow, Finn, Junko, Tom, Margalo, Snipe, Ravess, the Shade sisters, Ruth and Stork followed and prepared for battle.

Gail sighed. "Alright, then..." She said. "You want a battle?" She whipped her still bloody scalpel at Ruths head, impailing it, before clearing off in a black and green haze. Disturbia was the only one there.

As Dark Ace and Disturbia sord dueled in the room (Disturbia had stolen Keira Maries energy blade, wich was identical to Dark Ace's, firebolt crystal and all.), Piper ran to Aerrow and Finn ran to Vixxy.

"Are you okay, Vixxy?" Finn asked her. "I felt what you felt and it was pretty brutal."

"I-I-I-I'll be o-o-o-okay." Vixxy shivered. "Just stay by me and I'll recover." Finn hoisted Vixxy up and supported her with his shoulder, as Snipe did them same with a bleeding Keira Marie, Nightsahde then tended to her.

Stork jumped as Night cut a gash in her palm, just like what Vixxy did before and smeared her blood all over Keira Marie's cuts. They then clotted and stopped bleeding completely. "Star, Moon and I aren't REGULAR Cascade Merbians." Night explained.

"We're gifted." Star continued.

"Our blood and tears have healing properties." Moon finished.

"Casadians make highly faithful friends." Vixxy said as Finn looked down on her, fully recovered.

Everyone looked back on Dark Ace and Disturbia just as Dark Ace disarmed the banshee and forced her on her knees. "Have mercy..." The young banshee pleaded.

"Sorry," Dark Ace said, echoing her words. "All out of mercy."  
With that, Dark Ace took his energy blade and ran it threw Disturbia's chest, it came out her back and struck the floor. Disturbia let out a banshee's scream before disitergrating into a pile of dust. Dark Ace stopped around in it.

"What the hey just happened?" Stork asked.

"It's the only way to kill a banshee." Vixxy said. "Peirce her heart." Vixxy tapped the side of her chest as Dark Ace swept Keira Marie up in his arms.

"That's it." Stork said. He turned to Vixxy. "Get yourselves to safety. I'll meet you back at North Slashtown."

"Where are you going Stork?" Aerrow asked.

"I'm gonna set things streight with Gail." Stork said as his eye twitched for the first time in a while.

"But-" Star and Night said synconized.

"Let him go girls." Vixxy said. "You heard Gail, she's nothing but her spirit trapped inside her dead and decaying body. Dark Ace set Disturbia free."

"Now I have to set Gail free." Stork said. "I'm the one who trapped her." So everyone else left the building for North Slashtown and Stork stayed to search for Gail, alone. "This must end now..."


	23. A Life Returned

Chapter Twenty Three: A Life Returned

Stork circled the rotting, cold floors of the old factory for what seemed like hours. Finally, he lost his paitence and started to yell at the cracked walls. "Gail! It's just you and me now! Disturbia's gone, everyone else is gone! It's just you and me now! Come out!"

Stork merely turned around to find Gail right infront of his face. This caused him to step back, not because of fear, no, because of respect. He knew that the REAL Gail was just underneith all the pain and scabbs. All Stork had to do was get threw to her.  
Gail starred at Stork with her dead eyes and her neck cracked like a gunshot when she cocked her head, like something out of a horror movie about zombies.

"Gail." Stork said. "I don't want to hurt you. I love you too much to hurt you."

"You love me to much?!" The Banshee bommed back at him from halfway across the room. She started to circle around him, he turned to keep her infront of him. You never let a banshee get behind you. "If you loved me so much, you wouldn't have killed me and dumped the body in Banshee's Pass. No! If you loved me, YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE KILLED ME!"

"Gail! I didn't mean to push you down the stairs!" Stork yelled. "It was an accident! I'm-"

"An accident? An accident?! AN ACCIDENT?!" The Banshee screamed as her hair started to float around, as if she was standing under water.

"Gail! If you would let me finish!"

"I'LL SHOW YOU AN ACCIDENT!"

Next thing Stork knew, he was laying in the snow, with broken glass shards around him. Gail jumped out the broken window and the white sheet dress she was wearing somehow formed a kind of jumper, similar to Storks outfit around her. Stork, not having much time to get up, foolishly attempted to crawl away.  
Gail quickly caught up and grabbed Stork by the back of the shirt and tossed him back to the wood buildings wall. Over and over.

"Gail!" Stork gagged as he spit out his own blood. "Stop it! Listen to me!"

"There's nothing you can say to listen to." Gail replyed, grabbing him and smacking him into the wall again, this time back into the window and breaking more glass. Before Stork could hit the snow, Gail caught him and smacked him against the window to break MORE glass. She then let Stork fall to the ground.

"L-L-Look what you're doing to your people!" Stork said, trying to talk to her again. "OUR people. This is treason, what you're doing to these Merbs on this terra. It isn't fair for the Sky Knights, Talons and Midorians either!"

"I loved life and I had to die." Gail snarled. "Why should they be treated any better?"

"Gail...I'm sorry for what I put you through." Stork said as Gail appraoched him again. "I paniced when I broght you here. I'm so sorry."

"I don't want your pitty."

"It's not pitty. It's an appology."

"Well, I'm still going to kill you!"  
Stork turned and ran around the bulding with Gail right behind him. "DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME STORK! I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ME WHEN I KILL YOU!" The Banshee cursed. Gail appeared beside him again and garbbed him again. She smacked him against a fresh widnow. "I want to see the light leave your eyes!"  
Stork pretended to weeze and gasp, when he disgreetly grabbed the biggest shard of glass he could find. Gail seemed to sence he was nearing death. She picked him up a final time and said: "Any last words?"

Stork came back into focus. "I have this to repeat." He said. "I'm...sorry."  
With that Stork took the shard of glass and rammed it threw Gails chest, cutting his palm in the process. Gail let out the loudest, highest scream he ever heard from her right in Storks face and dropped to her knees, then to her side, until Gail disitergrated into dust, just like Disturbia did. Stork sighed and clutched his cut hand.

"Let's hope this puts a permenant end to your suffering, Gail."


	24. A Terra Reborned

**Chapter Twenty Four: A Terra Reborned**

In the only biulding left standing in North Slashtown, the town hall, the Storm Hawks, Talons and Hunters all waited anxiously for Stork to return. Star and Night were the most concerned. On a bench where the office door was, Keira Marie sat down, biting her nails in a trance until someone tapped her shoulder. Her blue eyes went upwards, expecting to see the pale, expressionless eyes of the banshee who murdered her mentor, but she was relieved to see comforting mahogany colored eyes instead.

"Are you sure you're okay, my dearest?" Dark Ace asked as he sat down beside her and put his hand on her lap.

"Yes, Dark Ace." Keira Marie replyed as she placed her hand on top of his. "You kept asking me that as you carried me all the way from the house of a thousand nightmares to here."

"And you gave me the same reply, next to 'you can put me down now'." Dark Ace laughed.

Keira Marie could tell he was trying to make her feel better, and she knew it. "Thanks for worrying about me." She said, gentally placing her hands on his shoulders.

"You're worth it." Dark Ace said. "Even as a Sky Knight, you were."

"I was a Sky Knight's wife and or punching bag." Keira Marie said sweetly. Her eyes shifted. "Are we about to do what I think?"

"I'd think so."

"On a bench?"

"What?" Dark Ace scoffed. "You're saying teenagers can do it, but we can't? Beside's nobody's looking."

Keira Marie paused for a minute before she kissed Dark Ace. It took her about two minutes to close her eyes and fall back into it, but she did. Dark Ace remembered why he hated Geoffry, he was beating on a woman as beautiful and 'skilled' as Keira Marie (Ava). He knew she deserved better and that's why he took her into Master Cyclonis so she could become a Talon.

Someone smacked Dark Ace in the back, hard, which made him break away from keira Marie. It was Vixxy. "Take that somewhere else, please." She said. With that, Dark Ace took Keira Marie by the hand to lead her somewhere they could be alone...

Sortly after Dark Ace and Keira Marie disappeared, Stork came into the building. He'd finally stopped bleeding and the two Cascadians came to his aid. Soon, Stork was surrounded by people asking him what happened and he said he killed Gail and he passed some Sky Knights, Talons and Merbians on the way over. They were all free and back to normal. The Knopses and Flatheads? They all just dropped dead.

"Gail is..." Vixxy's words were cut off when she was blinded by a goldish light.

It was almost as if there was an angel stadning infront of them. The light dimmed to reveal a familiar merbian girl with long streight black hair, bright eyes and clear, green skin. She was wearing a shinny white dress, like a bridal dress. "Gail?" Stork asked.

"Hello Stork." She said in a more kind and gental voice.

Stork was astounded. "Gail! You're beautiful again!"

"Yes." Gail said.

"Gail?!" Piper said, winded. "Is that really you? That's..This is what you looked like on the inside all this time?"

"Yes." Gail said, smiling. "I have Stork to thank. You set me free, and now I can do the same for Midoria."  
A golden light came off Gail again and all the snow melted around North Slashtown, leaving only graystone, like it was years ago. After that, another light shone from behind Gail. "What's that?" She asked.

Vixyy knew. "It's time for you to go."

Gail smiled again. "Thank you Storm Hawks, GunWitch, Hecate's Hunters and all of you whom I owe an appology to. Bless you all." With that, Gail disappeared along with the light.

"Goodbye Gail." Stork said. "You're welcome."

* * *

Ravess went over to Vixxy, who was sitting alone looking at the Storm Hawks from affar. "Have you seen Dark Ace?"

"Last time I saw him, he was drooling all over Keira Maries neck." Vixxy replyed rather absent mindedly.

Ravess scoffed. "Well then we'll have to discuss this without him..."

"Discuss what?"

"Vixentina." Ravess said. "I want you to go with the Storm Hawks."

"But-"

"Storm Hawk or not, you're still my daughter and I'll always love you." Ravess said. "Besides, if the GunWitch strays too far from her Oracle, her powers weaken and weaken, until she drops dead."

"Thanks mom." Vixxy said hugging Ravess. "I was hoping you'd understand."

"Sure, Vixentina..." Ravess said, she patted Vixxy's back and got up. "Now, I have to find Dark Ace..."  
Ravess soon passed Aerrow, she couldn't help but look at him. He was rocking back and forth on the same bench Dark Ace and Keira Marie were on and his eyes reflected agony and lost of it. "You look terrible." Ravess said. "What happened to you?"

Piper came running. "Aerrow! What's wrong?"

All he could do was shake his head. "It was aweful...Dark Ace...Keira Marie...Behind desk..." He began to cry in his hands.

Just then, Keira Marie came out of the office she was in with Dark Ace behind her. Neither of them were wearing thier armor, just the clothes underneith them. "Aerrow!" She stopped right infront of him on her knees. "Aerrow! I am so sorry! You didn't need to see that! Even Dark Ace admitted that! I am so so so so so sorry!"

"My virgin eyes!" Aerrow yelled back at her.

"Oh, grow up!" Dark Ace snapped. "It's a perfectly normal thing for adults to do!"

"Behind a desk?!" Aerrow screamed. "With my sisiter?!"

"Why not?!"

"Boys, boys, boys!" Keira Marie said, coming in between them.

"Dark Ace... Keiar Marie..." Ravess said. "Where's your armor?"

"Keira Marie paniced." Said Dark Ace, being all too honest. "We didn't have time to put it on..."

"Oh, Dark Ace..." Ravess said shaking her head. "Keira Marie...Why?"

"Why not?!" The two Talons said at the same time. "It seemed like a good idea at the moment...We'll go get our armor back on..."

* * *

Soon after Aerrow's nightmarish experience, it was time to leave Terra Midoria. Everyone said thier last goodbyes and Aerrow told Keira Marie he'd see her on the battlefield. Once the Condor was ready, The Storm Hawks and thier newest memebers, Vixxy, Star, Night and Moon borded and took off.

Aerrow looked forward to what lied ahead for him and his new team, and he hoped to meet his neice, Samara one day. But he was hoping, PRAYING that he would never see Dark Ace going all the way with his sister again.

**THE END.**

**Stay tuned for the sequel. Coming soon. **


End file.
